Tough calls ahead for Farrell in Six Nations part II

Andy Farrell has assembled his squad for the second half of the Guinness Six Nations, which begins with a home game against Italy on Sunday.

In the past, competition for places might have been less competitive than what it currently is.

Farrell has a job on his hands to manage the current mix of experience and youthful exuberance.

In one sense, people think that having a better team makes life as a coach that bit easier. That's true to a certain extent.

Implementing a game-plan with the strongest team possible and strength in depth is a huge advantage.

The stronger the squad is, the more the coach becomes a facilitator and allows the leadership group to implement the game-plan.

You’ve got a better chance of winning, being known as a successful coach and life should be that bit easier, at least from a results perspective.

The success of your tenure will come down to the brass tacks.

Look at Joe Schmidt: he turned Ireland into a team that expected to win the Six Nations and really changed their mindset when it came to taking on New Zealand. That’s success.

At the same time, coaching isn’t all about winning.

Ask the players about the legacy that Schmidt left with those wins. Fear, dread and walking on eggshells.

The environment was ruthless and although the team was successful there aren’t too many players saying that they enjoyed going to work.

Yet winning was the most important metric to everyone outside of the playing group.

In my role as coach in Cork Con, team selection falls with me. It’s a role that I’ve been transitioning slowly into since I began coaching as a newly retired player.

At that stage I was too new to coaching and too close to the players to take on the hiring and firing for the game on a Saturday, along with the fact