New Ireland Coach?

[Prestwick]

So where now for Ireland? Will they look abroad again or there homegrown Coaching talent in their Provinces who will put their hand up?

 

[An Tarbh]

None of the provincial coaches are starters for me, Bradley is woeful, Cheika has just signed a new deal along with Gaffney coming in, so that rules them out, also for Gaffney he can't come till the Autumn so that rules him out taking over Ireland, even though I'd be more than happy with his appointment. Williams is too early in the Ulster job to just up sticks and leave and I think there's still bad blood with Kidney so it doesn't make him the ideal candidate despite his success.

That leaves us with foreign coaches then, Jake White's name is being mentioned, although he's being mentioned with every vacancy out there, whether the IRFU have the money to get him given he was roughly on what Eddie was with South Africa, so his fee would certainly have gone up after winning a world cup and the IRFU will have had to pay Eddie a hefty severance.

Who are the other options then? I imagine the IRFU will be running their eye over the Guinness Premiership but realistically who's available?

 

[Prestwick]

One good thing about the Gaffer are his team talks at half time. If you haven't been performing well, apparently he puts the fear of god into you at half time! Its worked for Sarries for almost all of their games so far this season..

 

[An Tarbh]

and he didn't do too bad in his spells at Leinster and Munster so he'd be my choice at the moment.

 

[peppers07]

<div class='quotemain'>
Declan Kidney (hopeflly ) wont take the job because he has a full time commitment to munster
[/b]

He's never had a problem in the past shirking his commitments
[/b][/quote]

What do you mean ??

 

[An Tarbh]

<div class='quotemain'>
<div class='quotemain'>
Declan Kidney (hopeflly ) wont take the job because he has a full time commitment to munster
[/b]

He's never had a problem in the past shirking his commitments
[/b][/quote]

What do you mean ??
[/b][/quote]

He negotiated his contract with Munster the week of our quarter final with Leicester in 2005, he also walked out on the Dragons to take the Leinster job which was a sign of things to come.

 

[nick_w]

Reddan has chucked Pat Lam's name into the hat on the bbc website. That wouldn't be such a bad choice by the IRFU in my opinion, Lam has a lot to offer.

 

[An Tarbh]

Reddan has chucked Pat Lam's name into the hat on the bbc website. That wouldn't be such a bad choice by the IRFU in my opinion, Lam has a lot to offer.
[/b]

It was Pat Howard actually and he is the favourite according to Paddy Power when I checked their website earlier although there's every possibility that that could have changed in the interim.

 

[shazbooger]

Yeah it will take a while before this one is resolved. Many people will be linked, many will rule themselves out. The longer it goes the more unlikely it will be Kidney and the more left field suggestions will come to the fore.

Its early days, but one name that I've heard more then a few times today has been Eddie Jones. The bookies havent picked up on it, but its a name that appeals to me straight away.

 

[An Tarbh]

Well Jake White's agent seems to be ruling him out of the job, still whoring himself for the England job, pretty bad form imo while there's still someone in the job, it's not as if a jobless world cup winning coach is going to slip under the radar should the post become available, besides given what he's said about the players in the past, regardless of it being just pre match banter can't have endeared him too well to the IRFU.

 

[shazbooger]

Yeah just saw that. Happy enough to read it to be honest.

 

[shtove]

Irish Times says the summer tour will probably go ahead under a caretaker coach, so Gaffney in the autumn looks a likely plan. Or maybe Ashton will be available by then

Howard has resigned from the ARU for family reasons - maybe an interesting coincidence in the timing?

 

[An Tarbh]

Just saw on Setanta that Gaffney is apparently interested but haven't read the entire article and it's no shock when a headline is slightly misleading!!!

Right then Gaffney is definitely a contender, here's the article in full.

Gaffney interested in Ireland job
by Gareth Maher, 21 March 2008

Gaffney interested in Ireland job

Alan Gaffney has expressed his interest in the vacant Ireland coaching job despite recently signing on to link up with Leinster next season.

The former Munster coach has agreed to join Michael Chieka's coaching staff to become the new backs coach for Leinster.

Gaffney is currently in charge at Guinness Premiership side Saracens, and while he is set to return to his homeland with Leinster he has a clause in his contract with them that allows him to leave if offered a national team position.

"If they considered me for the job it would be an honour," Gaffney is quoted as saying in the Irish Mirror.

"The deal I have with Leinster is that should anything come up with the national team they would not stand in my way.

"I have a definite interest in the job, for certain. And that applies to any role within that set-up.

"I haven't spoken to anyone from Ireland other than my friends over there. It's flattering in one sense and if anyone did approach me it would be an honour.

"But I'm sitting back and not getting too excited or carried away about it. I take each day as it comes."

From - Setanta Sports

 

[Dream]

John Mitchell - I think he would be a good shout for Ireland. Very astute man, has turned Western Force into a decent side, he also has coached in the 6N and Tri-Nations. I think Ireland became a stale and predictable side under EOS. Maybe getting someone in without preconceived notions of the squad would benefit irish rugby

 

[shazbooger]

Mitchell also has a few close links with Ireland and has been involved with drilling the Irish forwards a good few years ago. That one is not as far fetched as some might think.

 

[shazbooger]

Well both Mitchell and Howard have ruled themselves out. Supposedly the IRFU made a casual approach to Howard and he said no thank you. Mitchell was just responding to press speculation.

That leave Declan Kidney as favourite, with Alan Gaffney a close second.

 

[padwah807]

I think that they need to take thier time and pick the right person first time around or it could be a recipe for disaster!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

I'd say the job is between Declan Kidney and Heyneke Meyer at this stage. Both have very impressive CVs and are among the top coaches in world rugby. Kidney's problem is obviously the circumstances surrounding his departure from Leinster. Will the blazers overlook this?

I'm not too fond of the way Kidney shafted Leinster but it was three years ago. Let bygones be bygones. Both Leinster and Munster have moved forward since the debacle. Once he hires a quality backline coach I doubt the likes of Brian O'Driscoll will have a problem with him as coach. He's a winner, plain and simple.

 

[An Tarbh]

I'd say the job is between Declan Kidney and Heyneke Meyer at this stage. Both have very impressive CVs and are among the top coaches in world rugby. Kidney's problem is obviously the circumstances surrounding his departure from Leinster. Will the blazers overlook this?

I'm not too fond of the way Kidney shafted Leinster but it was three years ago. Let bygones be bygones. Both Leinster and Munster have moved forward since the debacle. Once he hires a quality backline coach I doubt the likes of Brian O'Driscoll will have a problem with him as coach. He's a winner, plain and simple.
[/b]

I don't know how true this is with Meyer but elsewhere I've been reading that he takes a while to cultivate a squad and a team and given the age bracket of so many players I'm not sure if he'd be the ideal candidate, will need to know what the South Africans think on this??? As for Kidney he's gone up hugely in my opinion on yesterday's game but there is the bagage, I'm not happy with it but who gives a flying f*** what I think, if the players can handle it then it's not an issue.

 

[peppers07]

Kidney will definately get the job after the Munster v Gloucester match