Hugo Keenan praises those who have stepped up in Andy Farrell's absence

Ireland full-back Hugo Keenan has praised Ireland's coaching staff as they chase a third Six Nations title in a row.

Ireland secured a Triple Crown with a hard-fought victory over Wales last weekend, keeping their chances of a second Grand Slam in three years alive.

This campaign has seen the team without their head coach, Andy Farrell, who is managing the British and Irish Lions this summer, with Simon Easterby taking charge until November.

So far, it has been business as usual, and Keenan has praised the structure for the smooth transition.

"That is a testament to the coaches who have stepped up," says Keenan.

"As well as Andy's foundations that he has built, we are a serious squad. Andy has been there since 2019 and before that, and a large part of the group has remained, with good consistency built over those years.

"We spoke after the World Cup that it is not a new cycle, it is a continuation of where we are at, and we want to keep evolving and keep growing the game in Ireland.

"There are years of work that have gone into the performances you have seen in the last three weeks.

"It is a little strange not having him in. You do miss his leadership, but the coaches are doing brilliantly, and a lot of the leadership group are stepping up as well."

After a mixed November series, which saw a defeat to New Zealand and unconvincing displays in wins over Argentina and Australia, questions were asked of the squad.

However, many of those seem to have been answered so far in the Six Nations, with the Leinster full-back saying confronting what went wrong was important.

"We knew over November that we did not perform to the best of our abilities. We probably weren't as sharp as we could have been, and we definitely did not get the