Brumbies eye McGahan

NOT content with courting a key cog in Declan Kidney’s Ireland set-up, Super rugby powerhouse the Brumbies seem intent on disrupting Munster’s build-up to tomorrow night’s primetime showdown with Leinster.

The Canberra side let it be known to sources in Australia yesterday that Tony McGahan has now joined Alan Gaffney — as well as a host of other big names in the rugby world — on the shortlist for the vacant head coach’s job.

McGahan is firmly under contract at Thomond Park until at least the end of next season, having signed an extension to his deal midway through last term.

However a switch back to his homeland and the potential opportunity to pit himself against the best the southern hemisphere club game has to offer could prove tempting to the Queenslander.

Munster’s heroic victory over Robbie Deans’ Australia in November grabbed lots of headlines in the media Down Under.

The 38-year-old, who has only ever coached in rugby league circles in his homeland, has enjoyed mixed fortunes at the helm since taking over from Declan Kidney, with stellar Magners League form not always matched in the European arena, with the province failing to progress beyond the pool stages of the Heineken Cup for the first time ever this term.

It also shapes to be a turbulent off-season for McGahan with the departure of his countryman and forwards coach Laurie Fisher. However he is seen as far from a shoo-in for the Brumbies post with Ireland forwards coach Gaffney, ex-Springboks mastermind Jake White and departed Bath chief Steve Meehan also on the Canberra shortlist.