Search for new coach - rumour and speculation thread

epaddy · Post by **epaddy** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 10:59 am

I reckon he will do a fantastic job for you, if he goes in with the right mindset and the players respond well. He can be a bit much at times but if Ulster buy into him keep your best players and bring in maybe one or two more he will make you a very competitive side in my opinion.

cables · Post by **cables** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 11:12 am

Remember - he publically blamed 'racism' for his problems in Scotland.

Rooster · Post by **Rooster** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 11:14 am

Well to a degree he might not have been far wrong in the setup over there cables, Andy Robinson named as Edinburgh coach went down like the proverbial fart in a spacesuit over there.

darkside lightside · Post by **darkside lightside** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 11:23 am

i have my reservations about him, but on the upside he is a genuine outsider, which i reckon is important at this time. he also should be hyper-motivated to attain success after his high-profile flop with Scotland..

The Boo Radleys · Post by **The Boo Radleys** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 5:38 pm

Some more info of note from the beeb!

It seems only a matter of time before Australian Matt Williams is appointed as the new Ulster rugby coach.
The former Leinster and Scotland coach and his agent held talks with Ulster Branch and IRFU officials at a Belfast hotel on Thursday before flying home.

It is thought the talks centred around his financial package and his backroom staff, as well as his family situation, if he decides to accept the post.

Williams' appointment could be rubber-stamped before the weekend.

What role, if any, should be played by current Ulster caretaker coach Steve Williams, is also believed to have been a matter for discussion.

Williams appears to have won the race ahead of former Welsh coach Gareth Jenkins and Saracens assistant Richard Graham.

His impending appointment comes after a leisurely two-year stint back in Sydney where he was in charge of coaching duties at West Harbour RFC.

The Australian has had a chequered career in coaching. He had some success with NSW Waratahs before moving north of the equator to Dublin.

With Ulsterman Willie Anderson as his deputy, Williams had quite a successful stint with Leinster.

His at times uncompromising approach helped to shock an under-achieving team into becoming genuine Heineken Cup candidates.

During his time in Dublin he guided Leinster to Celtic League honours and was assigned Ireland A coach in 2002.

But after Leinster fluffed their lines in the 2004 semi-final against Perpignan, WilliamsÂ¿ tenure came under threat.

However, his success at Leinster led him, and a short time later Anderson, to be head-hunted and leapfrogged into the international sphere when ScotlandÂ¿s big hitters Ian McGeechan and Jim Telfer were impressed with his forthright ideas.

As the first foreign coach at Murrayfield, Williams was at times controversial in his approach, and ditching well-established coaches and players in the SRU system did not go down too well in some quarters.

In the end, following a two-year stint in which Scotland only won three out of 17 games, Williams was sacked along with his backroom staff in April 2005.

A gifted raconteur Williams is an articulate speaker and on his return to Australia has been involved in more motivational lectures than coaching drills.

Obviously Ulster Rugby and the IRFU believe that he is the man to motivate a squad of players who looked to be mentally unable to get out of their present dip in form.

colinh · Post by **colinh** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 9:33 pm

aarons wrote:yeah colin, but who's to say a coach can't learn from such an experience.

and after all, if there's any coaching job that's a poisoned chalice, surely it's the leinster job - what with the apparent player power and all

You may be correct Aaron but he did not seem to note the lessons with Scotland. Time will tell one way or the other.

Sue O'Cide · Post by **Sue O'Cide** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 11:23 pm

Ulster could well be taking that title off leinster

Player power is a problem that Matt Williams may have to deal with head on.

Shan · Post by **Shan** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 8:26 am

The problem I perceive with Williams is that he is too confident(arrogant maybe) in himself.What I mean particularly is that once he makes up his mind on players/sytems etc nothing will change his mind(Maybe you are getting Eddie after all).It appears that he does not take kindly to being questioned on anything.There is nothing wrong with being decisive but there is something wrong with being closed-minded.He could end up going in and causing problems in the squad which seems to be a hallmark of his.He always seems to be able to blame somebody else whenever problems arise but I'd guess a lot of it is because of him forcing his personality on everyone.Maybe it's just the fact that he is as smug as they come, without due cause I may add, and condescending and a has a general manner that is off-putting that's clouding my judgement somewhat.

Tevez · Post by **Tevez** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 10:22 am

YM

The respect of the players....not only good enough to coach...probably good enough to play!!!

Rooster · Post by **Rooster** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 12:52 pm

We have lost a prop an 2 8's due to injury though YM , perhaps this has more of an effect on the pack than anything else

ulster_heroes · Post by **ulster_heroes** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 1:58 pm

from a good source within UR...Matt Williams to be unvieled as new Ulster coach this weekend and contrary to popular belief, he is favoured by EOS for those role

Rooster · Post by **Rooster** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 5:43 pm

Irish Times

Williams remains leading candidate

Johnny Watterson

Round-up : The former Leinster and Scotland head coach Matt Williams remains the strong favourite to take over as Ulster's new coach for the remainder of the 2008 season.

If and when that appointment is made, Williams will become only the second coach of the professional era to have coached two Irish Heineken European Cup teams, Leinster and Munster - Declan Kidney, the present Munster coach, being the other.

The Australian, who was in Belfast on Wednesday to be interviewed by a committee comprising Neilly Jackson, Eddie Wigglesworth and Cecil Watson, looks set to fill Mark McCall's shoes as head coach early in the new year.

The 46-year-old flew in from Sydney, where he has been coaching the West Harbour Club in Australia's Shute Shield, but has since returned home to his wife and three children.

Following Ulster's worldwide search, which is understood to have been undertaken by sports management consultants Essentially, Williams headed a shortlist believed to also include the former Wales coach Gareth Jenkins and the assistant coach at Saracens, Richard Graham.

There are believed to be a number of issues to be resolved before any announcement is made, including negotiations over pay and conditions and the make-up of back-room staff.

It is understood the return to school in January of his children in Australia is a domestic complication for Williams, as is his involvement in a business partnership, which will require some time to sort out.

Although the Ulster chief executive, Michael Reid, has stated Ulster were hoping to have a coach in situ in early January, it's unlikely Williams would be available until closer to the end of the month or early February.

In essence, his principal task will be to help Ulster qualify for next season's Heineken European Cup by making sure they do not finish last of the Irish provinces in the Magners League (at present they languish at the bottom, below Connacht).

Williams will also be expected to put some shape on the team so as to make them serious contenders in next season's premier European tournament.

In his previous two high-profile jobs, with Scotland and Leinster, Williams brought in the former Ireland lock Willie Anderson as his assistant and forwards coach. But Ulster's current forwards coach and acting caretaker coach, Steve Williams, has a year and a half to run on his contract and is likely to remain in place until the end of this season at least.

Yesterday Ulster officials were adamant no appointment had yet been made and said interviews were continuing throughout the day and also into today.

Although Williams has been coaching in Australia, he has not been doing so at the highest level since his contract as Scotland coach was terminated in April 2005 after just three Test match wins from 17 outings.

But he has continued to keep close connections with Ireland and was a television pundit as well as an Irish Times columnist during the World Cup in France.

During his time at Leinster, Williams guided the team to a Celtic League title and a European Cup semi-final, when Leinster were famously beaten by Perpignan at Lansdowne Road, before turning down a move to Saracens in England.

Williams subsequently took the job with Scotland.
Â© 2007 The Irish Times

Rooster · Post by **Rooster** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 5:46 pm

Irish Indo

Ulster ready to initiate fightback under Williams

By Hugh Farrelly
Friday December 21 2007

ULSTER are ready to unveil Australian Matt Williams as their new coach today.

The former Leinster and Ulster coach held talks with Ulster and IRFU officials in a Belfast hotel yesterday, with the details of Williams's financial package being the focus of much of the discussion.

Williams was accompanied by his agent John Baker while Ulster were represented by chief executive Michael Reid and Cecil Watson, chairman of the professional team management committee. IRFU representatives Eddie Wigglesworth and Neil Jackson were also present.

Ulster conducted a worldwide search to find a replacement for Mark McCall and Williams fought off competition from former Llanelli and Wales coach Gareth Jenkins and the Saracens assistant coach and former Australian sevens expert Richard Graham.

Williams has spent the last two years in Sydney, where he coached West Harbour RFC, but has maintained an active interest in the Irish rugby scene through his work in the media. He coached New South Wales Waratahs prior to moving to Ireland in 2001 and joining Leinster.

With former Ulster and Ireland lock Willie Anderson as his deputy, Williams guided Leinster to the Celtic League title in 2001 when they beat Munster in the final at Lansdowne Road. Under his guidance, Leinster became known as one of the most feared attacking backlines in Europe and Williams' reputation was enhanced as a result, as evidenced by his appointment as coach to the Ireland A team in 2002.

However, after Leinster's tame Heineken Cup semi-final defeat to Perpignan at Lansdowne Road in 2003, and some ill-advised comments regarding a perceived media bias towards Munster, Williams came under considerable pressure and, when Scotland came in for him in December 2003, he became the first non-Scot to coach their national side, bringing Anderson with him as assistant.

His record with Scotland was disastrous, registering just three wins from 17 internationals (against Samoa, Japan and Italy). The victories over Japan and Samoa were regarded as irrelevant wins against lesser nations while the win over Italy was a desperately poor game which Williams's side won 18-10.

Further damaging his reputation in Scotland was his decision to dispense with the services of defence coach Alan Tait and highly regarded out-half Gregor Townsend, moves which proved deeply unpopular.

In April 2005, the Scottish union decided they'd had enough. They dismissed Williams and Anderson and Scotland have since improved considerably since Frank Hadden took over.

Ulster will look for Williams to turn around a disastrous season which sees them bottom of the Magners League, winless in Europe and under severe pressure to retain their Heineken Cup status for next season.

The Australian is a highly quotable, colourful character who puts a lot of store in his motivational abilities. Those skills will be much needed in Ravenhill where he will not only have to inspire a marked improvement on the pitch but also convince several of Ulster's frontline players to remain with the province when their contracts run out at the end of the season.

It is a bold move by the Ulster branch who are placing their faith in Williams' knowledge of the Irish scene and his ability to recreate the better aspects of his time with Leinster. Williams has tremendous self-belief and will relish the challenge of becoming Ulster's saviour, to the point where he is prepared to sacrifice the warm weather of Sydney and bring his family around the globe to Belfast.

Williams wants the job and Ulster are keen to bring him on board, although it is understood that former Irish international Anderson is not part of the package. All that is left is ironing out the details. That could well be completed today.

Meanwhile, Ospreys have swooped to capture New Zealander Andrew Hore as their first elite performance director.

Hore was the Welsh Rugby Union's national fitness coach between 2002 and 2005, culminating in Wales winning the RBS 6 Nations title and securing a first Grand Slam since 1978. He had been linked with a return to Cardiff for the WRU's newly-created elite director post, but he will now start work with the Ospreys in February after agreeing a three-and-a-half-year contract.

- Hugh Farrelly

Hot in the Tropics · Post by **Hot in the Tropics** » Sat Dec 22, 2007 3:34 pm

Sue O''Cide - I am intrigued by your comment that th coach will he to deal withplayer power head on. Care tto elaborate on your thoughts?

And I did notice you seem to have made your mind up on the new coach.

Must admit, I am very NOT convinced that MW is the right man for this job. Not in the slightest. Hope I am wrong though.

The Boo Radleys · Post by **The Boo Radleys** » Mon Dec 24, 2007 10:01 am

Being reported on the BBC that Williams was offered the post at the weekend!