Anthony Foley takes over as Ireland Forwards Coach

Various Irish sports journalists today have tweeted that Anthony Foley will take the job of Irelands forwards coach on temporary basis; Gert Smal has had to take leave due to an eye condition. You can trace the story on Simon Lewis' (Irish Examiner rugby correspondent) twitter feed.

https://twitter.com/#!/SiLew

It seems that O'Connell has effectively been coaching the forwards this week with Ross working on the scrummaging. Quite a lot of disruption behind the scenes for Ireland it seems. Foley will join up with the squad after the Munster vs Cardiff game.

Something makes me think it might be a positive development in obviously unfortunate circumstances for Smal.

Will it influence selection at all? The composition of the second and back rows?

It will have no influence on the selections at all to be honest but i am not all that upset that Foley is involved.

Very interesting,it's a blow for the team as it causes all sorts of disruption but it's good to see Foley being trusted with such an important job.

I doubt he'll do anything radically different as it's only a temp job but it'll be interesting to see how he gets on.

Maybe in the games after the Italy one but even then, the hand of Declan wouldn't see too much divergence.

But I think Foley might be better suited to getting something fluid going between forwards and backs. At the moment it looks too compartmentalised.

Unless his role is compartmentalised...

Well yes...but I don't think that's the problem with Ireland. I mean I don't think Kidney is insisting on compartments. Compartments won't win International rugby or indeed any modern game of rugby. I just think things have gone stagnant in camp Ireland as regards coaching and Foley might come in from the outside and see where the different strands of specialisation aren't adding up into an effective whole. I think the present coaches are probably suffering a little from myopia and could use an outside pair of eyes.

I hope so. That's the best case scenario, and it's very plausible too. I guess I'm just a bit doom and gloom lately. Anyway, it's on the IRFU website now.

http://www.irishrugby.ie/ireland/25708.php

It's only a short-term arrangement mind you- obviously Smal will return when he is fit, and hopefully that is soon. Wish him all the best.

Notch, we're about as low as a side of our potential (the weekend might prove me wrong with a loss to Italy!)..can get. Any coaching movement at all that I see brings some hope to me that things will be at least tried differently

Munsters pack have really improved since Foley took over from Santa. I'm glad to see him in the Irish setup.

Johno Gibbs must have been busy...

Only joking before anyone flairs up.

Why is Ross working on the scrum, is Greg Feek not the Irish scrum coach as well as the Leinster one?

Mickado, Declan Kidney would have called the Cork Con Mini rugby coach to ask if he could fill in before he entered a Dublin dialling code into his phone

It must be one of the most confused coaching set-ups ever to go for a Six Nations.
Feek onlooking as Ross does the scrum.
Smal out because of eye injury.
No dedicated backs coach

Maybe Ireland should have a Coach Protection program instead of the Player one.

I would have given it to Gibson on a part-time basis although the IRFU would have had to pay compensation the the Dutch farm where Gibbo is currently picking daffodils and drinking Advocaat

I wonder who will coach Munsters forwards now? BJ Botha?

Maybe the scrum coach takes over? Or Mick Galwey? Who works for Munster AFAIK but I haven't heard/seen him do much.

I think Feek was just temporarily coaching the Irish scrum for while to make it not rubbish? Then he went back to Leinster full time?

I'm not sure Mick Galway actually is in anyway involved in the Munster setup at all. To be honest from what I hear he wouldnt be suited to it.

We have:

McGahan - Head Coach and Defence Coach
McCartney (or Botha) - Scrum Coach
Foley - Forwards Coach
Holland - Attack Coach
Payne - Team Manager

At one stage, he was a squad advisor. Whatever the hell that is.

Thomond wrote:At one stage, he was a squad advisor. Whatever the hell that is.

An unnecessary job for the boys.

Im all for giving coaching roles to the experienced lads retiring. But only when we actually need them. E.g. ROG could possbly be a very good kicking coach in time.

Someone was talking about that to me the toher day. Are Munster just giving jobs to ex-players, or are these guys deserving of it? Foley is doing well but Holland has been poor. I don't exactly know the ins/outs of being a manager but Payne has been there a while so can't be terrible.

Overall I think they are ok. Jason Holland sticks out like a sore thumb. The rest seem to do fairly ok.

Other teams like Stade Toulouse - Yannick Bru, JB Ellissalde, Guy Noves and now William Servat - and Llanelli Scarlets - Simon Easterby Mark Jones, Nigel Davies, Vernon Cooper, Garan Evans - do this.

However the only thing is then if they aren't doing a good job they leave. I think if we didn't have Jason Holland as backs coach it wouldnt be such a big deal. Talented backs coaches seem hard to come by.

Foleys done very well judging him on Munsters progression since he joined.

you never know, in a fair few years time you could have:

Head Coach: Kidney
Forwards Coach: POC
Backs Coach: BOD
Defence/Kicking Coach: ROG

Boosh.

You're all really hoping we stick with Kidney

Comfort wrote:Foleys done very well judging him on Munsters progression since he joined.

you never know, in a fair few years time you could have:

Head Coach: Kidney
Forwards Coach: POC
Backs Coach: BOD
Defence/Kicking Coach: ROG

Boosh.

ROG teaching the defensive arts. Maybe a rejig;

ROG for backs coach and kicking
BOD for defense and breakdown
POC for the forwards

I am hoping that for the next match (not tomorrows) Foley will get some quick transition ball for the backs.

red_stag wrote:I wonder who will coach Munsters forwards now? BJ Botha?

Who is coaching the "A"s - is it Niall O'Donovan? Could also borrow a coach from one of the clubs?

Now, I hope Axel works the arse off the Ireland front & backrow, so that they are completely knackered by the time the 6Ns is over (which would cover our next two club games).