Kidney focuses on Munster amid speculation of Ireland call
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.
Kidney was lured away from the province to become assistant to O’Sullivan for a couple of years from 2001. It wasn’t exactly a marriage made in heaven and for that the IRFU, more than either of the two men, were to blame. He later spent a short time with the Dragons in Wales before moving on to Leinster, whom he led to a Heineken Cup quarter-final before returning to Munster.
His rapid departure from Dublin back to Cork left a sour taste with several Leinster players who would again be under his control should he be appointed to the top job.
That could tell against him, along with the belief that the union want a new start and accordingly will be looking abroad, and more specifically the southern hemisphere, for their man. Yesterday both Cashmans and Paddy Power bookmakers posted Australian Pat Howard as 5/2 favourite. He is a former Wallaby centre and has relatively close connections with Ireland, having played for Wanderers for a short spell in the 1990s; his father Jake coached the Dublin club around the same time. In more recent years, Howard coached the Leicester Tigers before moving back to take up a post with the Australian Rugby Union. A reported difference of opinion with ARU chief John O’Neill means that he may shortly be quitting that job.
Should that come to pass, Howard would be especially attractive to the IRFU, given that they wouldn’t need to buy out any part of an existing contract, a factor likely to come into play with several of the other candidates mentioned.
The IRFU stance at the moment is essentially that they must wait until the situation regarding Eddie O’Sullivan is cleared up before they start the process of seeking a replacement. The decision will ultimately be made by the Appointments Committee composed of Noel Murphy, Pat Whelan and Neilly Jackson, the trio who handed O’Sullivan his controversial four-year contract extension at the end of the 2007 Six Nations.
I understand that they will not rush that decision and that a “caretaker” coach will be appointed for the game against the Barbarians at Kingsholm, Gloucester, on May 27 and if necessary for the June internationals against New Zealand and Australia.
However, much of the work will have been done by then with the new man in place when the players return from holidays in early July.
The Appointments Committee have not as yet discussed the matter and with Easter intervening, they won’t do so until the middle of next week.
It seems certain that there will be a divergence of opinion and it will take time to draw up a shortlist. If they offer the job to Kidney and he accepts, it could be over and done with very quickly.
However, should they look further afield it could be a protracted affair, although again it seems as if the IRFU would be prepared to buy their ideal candidate out of his current contract and pay whatever kind of salary was necessary to get their man.
IRFU chief executive Philip Browne issued a statement yesterday which “respected the decision” by Eddie O’Sullivan to resign as Ireland’s head coach.
“In accepting his wish to step down, I want to emphasise the high regard the Union has for him and the achievements he attained during his reign in office. The matter of other management personnel will be dealt with as part of the Six Nations review. The IRFU will now address the vacant position of head coach,” said Browne.
“His record as Ireland’s most successful coach is his proud legacy and all of us in Irish rugby are grateful to him for the many memorable moments and achievements our senior Irish players and squads attained to during his coaching tenure.
“I want to congratulate and thank him for that contribution to Irish rugby and to wish him every success in his future career.”
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