Kidney focuses on Munster amid speculation of Ireland call

DECLAN Kidney declined to comment last night on any aspect of the succession stakes for the Irish rugby coaching job in the aftermath of Eddie O’Sullivan’s resignation on Wednesday.

Kidney is preparing the Munster team for tomorrow’s Magners League clash against Ulster at Musgrave Park and beyond that, is keeping his cards very close to his chest. Still in his mid-40s and with a wealth of coaching experience behind him, highlighted by winning the Heineken European Cup in 2006 and an Under-19 World Cup, he is the obvious home-bred candidate.

With no likelihood of a decision by the IRFU in the short term, Kidney has plenty of time to decide whether he should seek the post or continue with Munster, where he has enjoyed enormous success over the years. As of last night, he wasn’t allowing anything to distract him from the task of reenergising the team’s challenge for the Magners League and above all the Heineken Cup clash with Gloucester at Kingsholm on April 5.