Eddie: Reds job is pinnacle
The former Ireland and USA coach announced his intention to apply for the role last week, which Tony McGahan is vacating at the end of the season to return to Australia, and wants to be given a chance to lead the province to further glory.
“The Munster job is a big job in terms of rugby, it’s one of the marquee names of European rugby, having built up a huge tradition in the Heineken Cup having won it twice,” he said.
“Munster is a big name not just in Europe but around the world. It’s a big job, a very big job. It’d be great to be involved in it.”
While Anthony Foley remains the favourite to take the position, New Zealand backs coach Wayne Smith has almost certainly been ruled out. Smith indicated last week that he would work with Stuart Lancaster if he was named England coach.
“Could I work with Lancaster?” said Smith.
“I don’t know the man, I like where I am at the moment, but I respect what he has achieved. And is that question the right way round?
“I have been asked, with reference to England, if a number of strong coaches can work together. It can work, but your beliefs and philosophies need to be aligned.”
However, that is unlikely to make the task of getting the Munster job any easier for O’Sullivan as Nick Mallet, who also interviewed for the England job, could now come into the frame. Mallet has not applied for the job but could be approached to do an interview.
O’Sullivan and the other names on the shortlist will have to impress the selection committee of former Munster winger John Kelly, Munster junior vice president John Hartery, former president Declan Madden and chief executive Garrett Fitzgerald.
“At the moment I presume like any other job they get a shortlist together and carry out interviews,” said O’Sullivan.
“I’ve heard nothing yet but I’d suspect Munster are pretty busy as yet with the preparations for the Heineken Cup quarter-finals coming up. I’m assuming like any other job I’ll be called in [for interviews] and we’ll take it from there.
O’Sullivan thinks the time is right to return to management.
“I just want to get back coaching. I’ve been coaching all my life and at the moment I’m stuck between jobs, which happens every so often. It happened after I finished with Ireland and the American job came along.
“I am looking to get back on the horse and get on with it.”
He has been trying to take as much as he can from other sports and was recently appointed high performance advisor for the Irish Olympic Handball Association. The voluntary role gives him access to an entirely different sporting field which he hopes will also improve him as a rugby coach.
“I always believe no matter how long you’re coaching you’re always learning and there’s a lot of crossover in high performance between sports.
“The principals that drive successful teams don’t really change, the mechanics might change but the principles don’t,” he said.
“Whether it’s a basketball team or football team those principles don’t change.”
Taking up that consultancy role will not impinge on his ability to manage a professional rugby team and with the front row debacle prominent in every rugby follower’s thoughts at present, he believes Ireland’s attitude towards the position will evolve constantly over time.
“I think the system we have building off the provincial teams is the way to go.
“It needs to be tweaked every now and again. You have to keep an eye on where teams are in terms of the overseas players. I think Ireland is different too because in England they have 12 teams where you can spread your players about, in France they have 14 teams.
“In Ireland we have four teams so the overseas players are very important for Leinster and Munster to have won their Heineken Cups but you can’t just take that out of the equation.
“At the same time then you’re trying to get an international team out of those four provinces so it’s a delicate balance.
“It’s a tricky one and ongoing. It’s something that will remain ongoing. There’s a process in place at the moment and they’re working through it.”
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