Exciting opportunities ahead for Eddie

AFTER 16 months in his role as national coach, Eddie O’Sullivan is on the verge of winning the hearts and minds of the Irish rugby public.

It is worth recalling that the circumstance in which he was appointed was guaranteed to apply additional pressure on him. Warren Gatland had achieved significant progress with the national side in the Six Nations Championships of 2000 and 2001 and his departure coming as it did after depriving England of the grand slam in Lansdowne Road created much adverse comment at the time.

I first came in contact with O'Sullivan in the early 1980s. His proudest moment with Munster came against the all-conquering 1984 Australian grand slam side in Thomond Park. Even then, O'Sullivan struck you as a guy who was prepared to go the extra yard in order to achieve. His background in PE meant that he was well ahead of the rest in terms of physical preparation and fitness requirements.

In the 1990/'91 season, with my own career threatened due to a serious neck injury, I renewed my contact with Eddie O'Sullivan who had been appointed fitness adviser to the 1991 World Cup preparatory squad by Irish coach Ciaran Fitzgerald. In an effort to get back to full fitness, Eddie devised a specific programme for me. I wouldn't have made it to the finals without him.

That campaign was instrumental in shaping O'Sullivan's future. While his primary function was to attend to the squad's fitness requirements, he spent much of his time with the squad familiarising himself with the rudiments of forward play. Eddie spent hours watching the forwards practice their set-piece routines and also studied the various techniques employed at ruck and maul. I can still see him sitting on a scrummage machine in Finnstown House in Lucan, observing what was going on. In the evening time, he was always asking questions and expanding his knowledge of forward play.

Having played all his rugby at either out-half or on the wing, he was already showing signs of being an accomplished backs coach. In fact, I remember various debates among the backs about the defensive system Ireland were employing at the time and O'Sullivan's insistence, in private, that the more astute Southern Hemisphere sides would expose it. In the end he was proved correct as naive defence paved the way for Australia to score a last gasp winning try against us in the World Cup quarter-final.

A teaching post in Connacht led to his first foray into representative coaching as an assistant to George Hook to a very good Connacht side. He showed rich promise in the role and in time took over as head coach. Very much his own man, a trait that failed to endear him to all in the Connacht Branch, a falling out saw him heading for pastures new in the US.

From the outset of his coaching career, O'Sullivan had always set his sights on coaching the national team. He is the type of individual who normally succeeds in what he sets out to do. While his final passage to the job was somewhat circuitous, he made a major contribution when appointed assistant coach to Warren Gatland after the 1999 World Cup. His arrival coincided with the elevation of young players like Stringer, O'Gara and Shane Horgan to the side and a young Brian O'Driscoll also benefited from O'Sullivan's expertise.

On a personal basis, I found him excellent to work with. There have been times when his ambition got the better of him, but he has always got a clean vision of what he wants to achieve. He has an excellent work ethic and his attention to detail has paid dividends. As a result of his exposure to all disciplines of the game, he has an excellent appreciation of what is required, both on and off the field, to make an international side effective. He is also one of the few coaches operating at the top level who is equally comfortable coaching both backs and forwards.

The biggest challenge O'Sullivan faced when taking over from Warren Gatland was co-ordinating a strong-willed management team to function in a cohesive manner. His assistant coach Declan Kidney has always operated in a professional era as the supremo. It is a tribute to both that they have combined their vast rugby knowledge to the betterment of the team. O'Sullivan was also responsible for the appointment of the new defence coach, Mike Ford, and had the confidence to stick with him in the wake of some poor defensive performances last season. There was an acknowledgement from day one that any new defensive system would take time. The rewards are now plain to see.

Also, the structure of the game in this country is a major asset in keeping our elite players sharp. While the French and English players were required last Saturday in their respective domestic competitions, their Irish counterparts were resting up. This could be a major factor in the weeks and months ahead. The next few weeks and months present O'Sullivan with some exciting opportunities. While his contract as national coach expires after the World Cup, his future is very much with the IRFU. In time, he would make an excellent director of rugby. Post World Cup, his next challenge could well be with the British and Irish Lions on the New Zealand tour of 2005. At his current rate of progress he will certainly be a challenger to Andy Robinson for the position of head coach. Undoubtedly, he is capable of it.