THE Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) has finally confirmed that Declan Kidney will take charge of the Irish rugby team for the next three years – but only after Munster have completed their Heineken Cup campaign against Toulouse in the Cardiff final on Saturday, May 24. Kidney will take a watching brief when Ireland go to New Zealand and Australia in the summer, then take full charge after a brief holiday on his return.
The Munster boss has insisted that he will only think of Ireland after the Toulouse encounter, but he is also relishing the new challenge.
“There is no greater honor for any coach than to lead his own country. I have had that privilege at several levels of the game in Ireland, from schools and under-19s as well as working with the senior Ireland team, and I am delighted to have this opportunity and to be here at what is the pinnacle of my career,” said Kidney.
“I have worked with many exceptional players during my career at both international and provincial level and there is no doubt that we have the talent in Ireland to be successful at the highest level.
“The challenge going forward for the Ireland team and Irish rugby as a whole is to continue the growth and success on the field. I am excited about the challenge and looking forward to working with the players.
“My focus now will be totally on the Munster team and the preparation for the Heineken European Cup final.”
IRFU chief executive Philip Browne said, “The record of Declan Kidney speaks for itself and it was obvious from the very beginning of this process that he was one of the main contenders to lead Ireland to the next Rugby World Cup in 2011.
“His ability to achieve success and develop players in the ever increasing competitive arena of professional rugby is proven and the IRFU is delighted to have made this appointment. While the need to make the appointment as soon as was practicable was important, the IRFU was conscious of keeping any disruption to the preparations of the Munster team to a minimum.”
Irish captain Brian O’Driscoll believes Kidney is the right man for the job. “Declan has the CV to match the criteria for any international coach,” said O’Driscoll.
“He has had success with the national team at age level, he has had great success with Munster, he has been assistant coach under Eddie O’Sullivan back in the 2003 World Cup. He ticks all the boxes.”
The one drawback for O’Driscoll is the fact that Kidney won’t take charge for the summer tour. “Ideally you would want the coach to be in as soon as possible,” he added.
“It has felt a little like the process of appointing the new Irish soccer coach Giovanni Trapattoni for a while, though not quite to the same extent. I think Declan realized his focus is on Munster at the moment and he can’t give any time to Ireland.”
Former South African assistant coach Gert Smal is the new Ireland forwards coach, while Leinster’s Paul McNaughton will take on the role of team manager under Kidney.
Rugby Injuries
ANDREW Trimble and Gordon D’Arcy are both out of Ireland’s summer tour to New Zealand and Australia, when Connacht coach Michael Bradley will take charge of the team in a caretaker role before Declan Kidney takes up his new post.
D’Arcy is out after surgery on the arm he broke during the championship, while Trimble needs treatment on a leg injury and misses the games against the Barbarians, the All-Blacks and the Wallabies.
Captain Brian O’Driscoll is the only recognized center in the traveling squad, with Munster’s Ian Dowling and Leinster’s Luke Fitzgerald likely to compete for the position alongside him.
The Munster players on Heineken Cup final duty will miss the Barbarians game at Gloucester but will join the squad for the other two games.
Interim coach Bradley said, “New Zealand is undoubtedly one of the most challenging places to tour and to win test matches. After that we have a game against an Australian side that will have the fresh input of a new coach and are always among the top sides in the world.
“We are traveling on the tour with a strong squad conscious of the fact that IRB world ranking points are available, and that is what we are playing for.”
Knox Attacks
OUSTED Leinster backs coach David Knox has launched an astonishing attack on new Ireland supremo Declan Kidney and Munster’s star out-half Ronan O’Gara.
Speaking to the Irish Independent Knox, who was let go by Leinster last month, claimed the IRFU’s decision to appoint Kidney was “a massive mistake.”
Knox added, “The Irish international team badly needed a foreign coach. After the Eddie O’Sullivan era, they wanted someone to test these guys, show them a new way to play.
“The Munster people think Kidney is a messiah but I just don’t understand that. Munster get 30 points on the board by grinding away and when the other team is shot, they try and throw the ball around a bit. Then people say, what a great team. It’s rubbish.”
As for O’Gara, Knox claimed, “I have been here for three years and I have never seen him create space for anybody. Yet over here he ranks with Dan Carter as the best fly-half in the world. I have never heard such rubbish.”
Westmeath Worry
WESTMEATH boss Tomas O Flaharta insists his team will have to improve on Sunday’s successful 2-10 to 1-10 showing against Longford if they are to beat Offaly in the next round of the Leinster SFC.
“We made every mistake in the book out there today, even though we played good football at times,” said O Flaharta.
“We let Longford back into it but I am delighted we brought the win with us. We gave them half an hour to come back at us last time. This year we gave them less time.
“It’s not about trying to break losing sequences or continuing winning sequences. It’s about performance. Our performance today wasn’t as good as those in the league games.”
Longford now have to wait until July 19 for the qualifiers to commence, and manager Luke Dempsey fears an exodus of his top players to America for the summer.
Boss Dempsey said., “Our problem is that we have to wait until July 19 for the qualifiers which is a ridiculous sort of a championship. Lads will go back to their clubs and some will decide to go abroad so it’s going to be hard to pick things up but we’ll give it a shot.
“The danger is that lads will be poached by American clubs which is something I totally disagree with because it is not only takes away from the county team, it also hits the clubs.”
GAA Shorts
GAA: Meath face a goalkeeping crisis for Sunday’s opening championship game against Carlow with Brendan Murphy awaiting the result of his appeal against suspension, and regular understudy Michael Aherne injured.
Skryne teenager Paddy O’Rourke, a nephew of the legendary Colm, could make a dramatic senior debut in the game which could feature Graham Geraghty in the half-back line. Brian Farrell is fit again after a recent knee injury and will start . . .
GALWAY hurling captain David Collins has been forced to accept defeat in his battle with an ankle injury and will miss the full championship this summer. “It is heartbreaking to get the final word on it, to know for sure that I am out,” he said . . .
WATERFORD footballers Gary Hurney and Liam Lawlor have been called up to Justin McCarthy’s injury-hit hurling squad, while Dan Shanahan is still confident that he will recover from a knee ligament injury in time to play some part in the Munster SHC game with Clare next month. Eoin Murphy, Eoin Kelly and Paul Flynn are all expected to miss the Clare game however . . .
THE International Rules series against Australia, scheduled to resume late this year, is now in doubt as the Aussie hosts are struggling to find a suitable venue to host a second test game due to the Rugby League World Cup final which is taking place down under at the same time . . .
JASON Sherlock and Stephen O’Shaughnessy will both be fit for Dublin’s opening Leinster SFC game against Louth after overcoming recent injuries but Louth will be without injured defender Peter McGinnity . . .
MAYO defender Trevor Howley will miss next month’s Connacht SFC semifinal against either Sligo or London after he sustained a broken ankle in last Sunday’s challenge match defeat against Meath . . .
HENRY Shefflin made a successful return to the hurling field after his recent knee operation when he played half a game for his club Ballyhale Shamrocks last weekend . . .
MIDFIELDER Joe Bergin is confident he will beat an Achilles tendon injury in time to play for the Galway footballers in this year’s championship.
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