Wheeler: Kidney would have to be a 'serious candidate'

DECLAN Kidney is now considered "a primary target" to replace Dean Richards as director of rugby at Leicester.

Tigers chief executive Peter Wheeler has been monitoring Kidney's changed circumstances with the IRFU and said yesterday: "We are looking for a top quality coach and anyone involved with a national side anywhere in the world would have to be a serious candidate."

Wheeler declined to identify specific targets on the basis that the club is involved in initial discussions with a number of people.

"We have had discussions with certain individuals but I don't think it would be right for us to name anyone. There is no rush at the moment to appoint a successor to Dean. Our priority would be to have someone in place to oversee pre-season training in July."

So what about Kidney? "We have been led to believe that he might be available at this stage and he is clearly a quality coach with great experience. Of course he would be a candidate if he made himself available to us. I think he might be available, but it is too early to say. Even then, it would be a private matter between the club and the applicants until such time as we are ready to make an announcement on the matter."

Meanwhile, Munster have been dealt another blow with an injury to Dominic Crotty that could rule him out for the rest of the season.

Crotty damaged a shoulder in training yesterday and could be out for more than two months.

Leinster take on Celtic Warriors at Donnybrook on Friday and even though they have little chance of topping the table, they could still do some of the leading contenders a favour by beating the fifth placed side.

Ulster Coach Alan Solomons has announced an unchanged starting line-up for the Celtic League match against Glasgow this Friday night at Hughenden.

There are three changes on the bench with Neil McMillan, Shane Stewart and Seamus Mallon all returning from injury. McMillan replaces Warren Brosnihan, Mallon comes in for Andrew Maxwell, while Stewart takes over from Sheldon Coulter who was brought in on a permit last week to deputise for a number of injured players.

ULSTER: B. Cunningham, J. Topping, P. Wallace, P. Steinmetz, S. Young, A. Larkin, N. Doak, R. Kempson, M. Sexton, R. Moore, G. Longwell, M. McCullough, A. Ward (captain), R. Wilson, N. Best. Replacements. P. Shields, B. Young, M. Mustchin, N. McMillan, K. Campbell, S. Stewart, S. Mallon.

LEINSTER (from): J. Norton, G. Brown, J. McWeeney, J. Downey, C. Warner, D. Quinlan, B . Burke, F. Contepomi, M. Leek, B. O'Riordan, B. O'Meara, E. Bohan, P. Coyle, S. Brophy, G. Hickie, D. Blaney, a. Kearney, B. gissing, S. Crawford, N. Breslin, S. Jennings (captain), D. Dillon, C. Potts.