O’Sullivan lands role as new US Eagles coach

EDDIE O’SULLIVAN was last night appointed head coach of the US Eagles after 13 months away from full-time professional coaching.

O’Sullivan has signed a contract with USA Rugby that runs until December 2011, taking in the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand that winter.

“I’m delighted to accept the invitation to coach the US Eagles,” O’Sullivan said. “It is an exciting challenge which comes at a crucial period when I share their ambitions to qualify for Rugby World Cup 2011.

“In re-joining USA Rugby I am going back to my coaching roots, as it were,” O’Sullivan said.

“While I’m delighted that much progress has been made since my last involvement, I’m driven now by a determination that I share with the Eagles to demonstrate that USA Rugby has the resolve to establish its identity amongst the leading nations in the game.”

That resolve will be tested in July when the Eagles face Canada in a home-and-away series for a place in the 2011 World Cup.

Interestingly, one of O’Sullivan’s first games in charge will be against Ireland in a test international in the US, most likely to be played in San Francisco on May 30, where he will face Declan Kidney, who replaced him as Ireland head coach.

O’Sullivan stepped aside as Ireland head coach in March 2008 following a disappointing 2007 Rugby World Cup and subsequent Six Nations campaign.

The Cork man guided Ireland to three Triple Crowns (2004, 2006, 2007) during his six-year tenure as national head coach and, since stepping down, he has been on the lookout for a return to top-flight rugby.

O’Sullivan has worked with the Eagles in the past, having teamed up with Jack Clark in 1997 as assistant coach while also working as Technical Director with USA Rugby up to and including the 1999 Rugby World Cup.