Headhunt after Kidney removed

The IRFU have wasted no time in beginning their search for a new national team head coach, bringing in a headhunter to pinpoint a “world-class” candidate to replace Declan Kidney, with Australian Ewen McKenzie a short-priced favourite with bookmakers.

Kidney, 53, was told yesterday in a meeting with IRFU chief executive Philip Browne at the Lansdowne Road head office that the national team review group had decided not to renew his contract when his current deal ended on Jun 30, and then relieved him of his role immediately.

By the time the IRFU announced the decision at about 3.30pm, it had already set the wheels in motion on finding the 2009 Grand Slam-winning coach’s successor, bringing in an outside consultant to help the review group conduct a successful search.