Declan Kidney- IRFU decide not to renew contract

Declan Kidney has been sacked.

The search for a new ireland coach begins.

Les Kiss appointed interm coach. is this an interview for the top job. what can the IRFU learn about him during a tour to the states?
http://www.irishrugby.ie/news/28869.php

I suspect it began during the Scotland match...

Cheers for the Grand Slam Decco! And good luck to him wherever he goes.

Ewan Mckenzie is leaving Super Rugby at the end of thr season, so I am sure he will be one of the candidates

Thanks for 2009 Declan, good luck in your future endeavours both inside and outside rugby.

Can't agree with appointing Les Kiss in the long run. The entire coaching team must accept responsibility for the last few years. That is not just Declan Kidney but also Gert Smal, Les Kiss and to a lesser extent Greg Feek and Anthony Foley.

Can't for the life of me work out why this hasn't been reported on the beeb yet.

i agree Stag. think the coaching ticket got away lightly. i'm sure it was just Kidney with the master plan.

Yes I am quite disappointed to see Les Kiss and Gert Smal take the reins for the North America tour and hope they to don't get their contract renewed. These guys are as culpable for the shortcomings in Irelands gameplan as Kidney.

I hope Smal goes in particular. Not that he's a bad coach, just his brand of forward play just doesn't fit the players we have available any more. He's all about keeping it tight and dominating the collision and he's working with a lightweight set of forwards. Kiss has never been head coach of any rugby union side and was part of an underperforming and dysfunctional Ireland coaching ticket, so calls for him to take the top job are... baffling.

I also wonder how effective Anthony Foley can be double jobbing between Munster and Ireland.

I hope he either moves on from Munster properly and we sign a replacement or he decides to commit fully to the province.

His appointment to the coaching ticket was to fill in during Gert Smals illness. Then he suddenly was kept on and given a different role.

As far as Feek goes, I'm not happy about the Ireland scrum. We have a front row trying to carry the scrum on its own.

Foley I honestly think we haven't had time to judge, but certainly not a candidate for the top job. I think Anthony Foley should take the experience he's gained at Munster and with Ireland and look for a head coach position in England or France- even if its in the second tier. That would help his future prospects no end. But with the way Penneys 'revolution' is going, he maybe figures he can wait it out at home and angle for the top job when it comes up again.

Foley to take the reigns with ROG as his assistant .

red_stag wrote:Can't agree with appointing Les Kiss in the long run. The entire coaching team must accept responsibility for the last few years. That is not just Declan Kidney but also Gert Smal, Les Kiss and to a lesser extent Greg Feek and Anthony Foley.

Fully agree.

The interim coaches should be the interim coaches...not the natural heirs (for continuity's sake - whatever that would be in the real world)

If Kiss IS in the running after interim period then he should have to explain away a lot of stuff that was happening when he was already part of the Ireland ticket...and then, if explained away sufficiently, then I'd accept him as a candidate in his own terms, spelling out a future he wants to bring to Ireland.

But the past must be explained and it must be acknowledged as lost years of opportunity on the coaching front - not something that was a good plan if we had the players to make it work. It simply wasn't the right blueprint for Ireland's players. I don't want it repeated.

Biltong wrote:Ewan Mckenzie is leaving Super Rugby at the end of thr season, so I am sure he will be one of the candidates

Yep I made a post a while back that people in the IRFU were saying he was going to get the job. Right now he is the bookies heavy heavy favourite at 1/2 with the next nearest him at 13/2.

http://www.paddypower.com/bet/rugby-union/rugby-specials?ev_oc_grp_ids=1192515

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8oF2NgXTxo

Thankfully its only a tour of North America because with a coaching team of Kiss, Small and Foley it could have been a disaster of a tour.

Artful_Dodger wrote:

Biltong wrote:Ewan Mckenzie is leaving Super Rugby at the end of thr season, so I am sure he will be one of the candidates

Yep I made a post a while back that people in the IRFU were saying he was going to get the job. Right now he is the bookies heavy heavy favourite at 1/2 with the next nearest him at 13/2.

http://www.paddypower.com/bet/rugby-union/rugby-specials?ev_oc_grp_ids=1192515

Where did you hear that AD?

Some of my intelligence agents infiltrated the higher echelons of the IRFU quite sometime ago profitius....

On a serious note, it says in the link i posted on the thread I posted at the time that an IRFU official claimed McKenzie would definitely be the next Ireland coach. Check the "Ewen McKenzie touted as next Ireland coach" thread for the link.

Thanks for the Slam Deccie. Chin up and look forward to the Munster job at the end of the year.

Likely Foley will wait until end of the season to see how Deans goes with the Lions tour and RC. I suspect he'll have a good year and will be retained.

Are the IRFU prepared to wait on him though say to end of Sept? What happens if AUS make a last minute decision... were does it leave IRE then?

fa0019 wrote:Likely Foley will wait until end of the season to see how Deans goes with the Lions tour and RC. I suspect he'll have a good year and will be retained.

Are the IRFU prepared to wait on him though say to end of Sept? What happens if AUS make a last minute decision... were does it leave IRE then?

??? McKenzie?

Didnt all the coaches get their contracts renewed right before the world cup? Seems odd that Smal and Kiss would have longer contracts or is just a case of giving them an extra 2 months?

Hopefully they are all gone by the autumn

Id say the other coaches are being kept on for America to save money.

GunsGerms wrote:Thanks for the Slam Deccie. Chin up and look forward to the Munster job at the end of the year.

Hah!

Notch wrote:

GunsGerms wrote:Thanks for the Slam Deccie. Chin up and look forward to the Munster job at the end of the year.

Hah!

They love him so much in Munster they might as well take him back. Munster can play boring 10 man rugby to their hearts content.

Finally anyway....

England are excited enough with the new Coach and win over New Zealand (Wales will be put down to a blip in time... )

Wales are happy enough being the English blip and winning a championship, and doing it in succession, and the other year being a full Grand Slam and... (That's enough for now Wales! - Shut it!)

Scotland are happy enough too. 3rd in 6N, Glasgow shining in Pro12, scoring tries....ahhhhhhhhhhh, it was a long wait. Pigs in shyte .

....and now, finally, Ireland can join the club and look at least a little bit forward to something with a half-smile of hope on our faces.


Until Kiss'n'Smal sign the new contracts...............................................................

Tbf Guns that 10 man rugby was a lot better to watch then the rugby they are trying to play now!

Deccie, there will be a job at the Blues soon mate, you will be more than welcome there!!!

LeinsterFan4life wrote:Tbf Guns that 10 man rugby was a lot better to watch then the rugby they are trying to play now!

We better hope they get the hang of it...we'll need some of them playing it when we take the new Ireland for a spin.............

Now where's that starting handle???

GunsGerms wrote:

Notch wrote:

GunsGerms wrote:Thanks for the Slam Deccie. Chin up and look forward to the Munster job at the end of the year.

Hah!

They love him so much in Munster they might as well take him back. Munster can play boring 10 man rugby to their hearts content.

Surely its been illustrated that that style of rugby is out of vogue. If rule changes and the zeitgeist pull it back in Kidneys one trick might be successful. But Munster need to persevere with Penney teaching old dogs new tricks.

A waning leinster with their usual sense of overinflated abilities and a south African led Ulster in terms of direction albeit with a group of decent players at hk level are the future now it seems with only POM, Murray and Zebo looking capable from Munster ....

I think Kidney got lucky..and while not getting into the tired and stupid argument about the style of play I don't think anyone in Munster would say no to some of his Nous before the game next weekend...

South African led Ulster?? We have two South Africans.....

Artful_Dodger wrote:South African led Ulster?? We have two South Africans.....

And are the two South Africans - Piennar and Muller - leaders of the team? Unquestionably yes.

Pot Hale wrote:

Artful_Dodger wrote:South African led Ulster?? We have two South Africans.....

And are the two South Africans - Piennar and Muller - leaders of the team? Unquestionably yes.

I couldn't care less where the leaders came from. Why would I if they're quality?, and they are. Don't forget Best and Henry though. Who was present for the Leinster v Ulster match that missed the previous weeks?.......

But it's so silly to say the leaders of the team. In my mind the leaders of the team are Johann Muller, Paddy Jackson, Rory Best, Chris Henry, John Afoa and Ruan Pienaar. In that order.

The three non-irish players there would walk into our test side if they were eligible. But there are still some quality Irish players we haven't seen deliver at all on the international stage who have the potential to do so.

Notch wrote:But it's so silly to say the leaders of the team. In my mind the leaders of the team are Johann Muller, Paddy Jackson, Rory Best, Chris Henry, John Afoa and Ruan Pienaar. In that order.

The three non-irish players there would walk into our test side if they were eligible. But there are still some quality Irish players we haven't seen deliver at all on the international stage who have the potential to do so.

Broadly agree although Best would be one up on PJ in my book, and difficult to call between him (Best) and Muller, I believe.
PJ, is at a very early stage yet, but no doubt maturing into his role quickly.

Any chance of P Divvy getting the coaching seat?

SecretFly wrote:The interim coaches should be the interim coaches...not the natural heirs (for continuity's sake - whatever that would be in the real world)

... like Stuart Lancaster?

LeinsterFan4life wrote:Thankfully its only a tour of North America because with a coaching team of Kiss, Small and Foley it could have been a disaster of a tour.

Agree but if they select conservatively and play conservatively it will be a huge opportunity lost. I hope we have a coach before then and he is in Kiss' ear all the time guiding things from somewhere else in terms of selection (to a degree) and gameplan.

Notch wrote:Thanks for 2009 Declan, good luck in your future endeavours both inside and outside rugby.

+1

Humphreys as director of rugby with McCall. McLaughlin and Davidson as coaches would be my pick .

rodders wrote:Humphreys as director of rugby with McCall. McLaughlin and Davidson as coaches would be my pick .

Wouldnt be mine.

Ireland to have no coach? The captain picks the team and sets the tactics.

We'll save a load of cash and go back to Old School (19th Century) rugby!

Gert Smal has done a terrible job and is at least as responsible as Kidney for the fact that we're a pile of cr@p. Can't believe they'd consider Smal and Kiss after the last few years.

Was just about to breath a sigh of relief that it was finally over. But strangely, only one of the three has been told his time is up. The other two are still there.

The Great Aukster wrote:

SecretFly wrote:The interim coaches should be the interim coaches...not the natural heirs (for continuity's sake - whatever that would be in the real world)

... like Stuart Lancaster?

Is that the Lancaster that beat the All Blacks or the Lancaster that lost heavily to Wales?

Can't work out which guy you mean there Aukster

Feckless Rogue wrote:Gert Smal has done a terrible job and is at least as responsible as Kidney for the fact that we're a pile of cr@p. Can't believe they'd consider Smal and Kiss after the last few years.

Was just about to breath a sigh of relief that it was finally over. But strangely, only one of the three has been told his time is up. The other two are still there.

They had a meeting and the IRFU Arched Eyebrow asked a simple question:

"Which one of you idiots is responsible?"

Kiss'n'Smal pointed to Kidney. Foley pointed to Kiss'n'Smal. Kidney pointed to the Arched Eyebrow. So that's how Kidney was the one chosen to fall.

Thornley told me all that so nobody tell me I'm lying.

Good blog on Kidneys mistakes.

http://whiffofcordite.com/2013/04/03/je-ne-regrette-rien-except-maybe-these/

Anyone else not really that impressed with the list of candidates?

Personally I'd like to see Schmidt get the gig but don't see that happening.

Feckless Rogue wrote:Good blog on Kidneys mistakes.

http://whiffofcordite.com/2013/04/03/je-ne-regrette-rien-except-maybe-these/

What a load of Poopie....I think the heading says it all...rugby nerds blog....i.e translates to clueless hook types who talk rubbish.

All the best to the guy i have always liked him.

Anyone else think the "AVIVA" factor is ruining Irish rugby?
I think they should have sold the land and broke a deal to stay at croke park.