Nigel Carolan not interested in filling Connacht hot-seat

Nigel Carolan’s name was one of the first ushered to the front of the queue of likely successors when Pat Lam decided he would be leaving Connacht for Bristol but the Ireland U20s coach has now declared himself to be a non-runner.

Currently juggling the 20s role with his brief as Connacht academy manager, Carolan spoke two years ago about the vagaries of life as a coach on the unpredictable provincial/club carousel and that hasn’t changed.

It was family that Lam claimed had forced his hand in accepting Bristol’s lucrative offer and it is family — Carolan has two young children — that is one of the main reasons behind the latter’s reluctance to jump into the muddier waters of the club game.