Backs coach ‘not top’ of Eddie’s priorities

EDDIE O’SULLIVAN yesterday admitted the appointment of a backs coach “is not at the top of my list but will be a high priority at the end of the Six Nations.”

The hiring of the coach, and a manager, were amongst the findings of the Genesis report post the disastrous Rugby World Cup campaign in France.

But O’Sullivan revealed that fresh movement has yet been made on finding someone to fill the role.

Said the head coach: “We will bring a backs coach in but I don’t think it’s a problem at the moment.

“I think the backs played well last week. We created plenty of opportunities but didn’t take them.

“We will bring somebody in when we get the right person.

“As I’ve said before, if we were to adhere to the time line of the Six Nations, it would have put us under terrible pressure to find the right person.

“I think that would have been a backward step rather than a forward step. Certainly, bringing in a backs coach will be a forward step in that it will be a fresh person, a fresh mind, a fresh way of looking at things but it has to be the right person and that’s the most important thing.”

He added that the “appointment right now is not at the top of my list but will be a high priority at the end of the Six Nations.”

O’Sullivan has found himself under fresh pressure after another dismal performance against Italy.

However he maintained the pressure now is no greater than it was after the World Cup debacle.

“You’re always under pressure in the Six Nations, it’s the benchmark we use every year with five tough games, a real battle in terms of intensity. “It’s just the same for me as every other year. I know there’s plenty of talk going on outside camp but I can’t buy into that. It’s not going to make me a better job — in fact, it would take away from me doing my job if I was to worry about everything said outside of camp. You can’t control what other people want to write or say. It’s foolish to think you can do anything about that.”