Declan Kidney – the amazing diminishing rugby coach

[Shan]

WG fairly enjoys sticking two fingers up to the IRFU blazers. What could Ireland have achieved if he hadn’t been shafted to bring in EOS and DK.

Probably f-ck all. He displayed even worse ability to make necessary changes than his successors when he was Ireland coach until eventually having to bite the bullet and accept the reality.

Maybe it is the IRFU though who interfere insisting the coach dances to their tune. Who knows but this is a land where apes in manangement or exec positions without accountability like to run things their way, not for the benefit of the operation but for their owm benefit.

Who are the IRFU answerable to? They know they'll still get a full house at Lansdowne and the TV money/Govt grants no matter what so their fancy salaries are secure....

Oh don't mind me. I'm sick of it.

[Shan]

He's a kn-bhead.

He's a good coach too.

Yes he is. His record shows that. 3 Premierships when that league was still somewhat decent plus a H Cup and a Grand Slam.

If Wales could grab another GS this year he'd have some record. 2 Grand Slams is a great thing for any coach. Only France should stop them now they have momentum. Then again Wales are not so good that they couldn't make a right árse of it against either Scotland or England.

[Snipe Watson]

Who are the IRFU answerable to? They know they'll still get a full house at Lansdowne and the TV money/Govt grants no matter what so their fancy salaries are secure....

Don't start me Shan. That shower of selfsatisified, introspective...............

[BaggyTrousers]

Unless he beats France I can't see his contract getting re-newed.

He doesn't want another contract Big-al, however he did want to be in a position to request an early release from the Irish job to take the Lions job - that ship sailed today because even though Ireland threw away a victory that their play didn't deserve, Gatland has Deccie on his mantelpiece and will be Lions coach.

Of course we would all have been happy if not ecstatic to have won deserved or not, but that was a poor day out and but for a lack of alternatives there might be quite a few changes but I expect that Ryan will start and Earls will come in for McFadden & thats about it.

Sexton was dreadful in my opinion, his kicking from hand was just awful, but expect he will start again. I wonder will he ever be the 10 for Ireland that he is for Leinster, not looking good at this stage, closing in on 27, mid 20s in caps, should be in his prime but he still looks a nervous international.

The only think that pleased me was Kearney returning to his best form - 14 new caps Deccie? Obviously not.

[BaggyTrousers]

Thought I had posted that last bit hours ago and have just read the rest of the posts. Quite a few bitter barstewards about tonight.

A strange day, we lost a game we should have won yet didn't deserve to win. Make of that what you will.

As for the half time change of tactics, why? We were done over for 30 minutes but actually defended pretty well if a bit by the skin of our teeth a few times, then having apparently weathered the storm we began to look much better approaching half-time & got an excellent try. So in you go at half-time, leading if fortunately but having much the better of the preceding 10 minutes.

Now instead of using 20:20 hindsight tell me honestly............... what would you have done at half-time.

I get really fecking bored with people saying A should have done this, B should have changed that, C shouldn't have bothered his Brennan turning up & of course that fecker D........... he is a disgrace.

If some of you were so frigging bright maybe you might have posted something appropriate about what was needed at half-time on the match thread.................but of course you didn't, I checked we can all be experts after the event. Instead you come on here later in the day and make up little scenarios to suit what happened hours ago. Arseholes would be a kind description for many. Makes me sick, especially the ones with a tendency to glory in difficulties for certain usual players or coaches.

G'wan ye Steamers.

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[Snipe Watson]

You have to allow people to blow off steam after the ass fell out of the campaign in such disappointing fashion.

[BaggyTrousers]

You have to allow people to blow off steam after the ass fell out of the campaign in such disappointing fashion.

Very true Snipe,but it would be better if their posts were very true, Snipe.

Now we go for a thrashing in France, saying anything else is bullshit, no chance whatsoever.

We will probably beat the other three but I recall saying around RWC time that "a hard rain is gonna fall" & I expect international doldrums for a period. Well much as we should have undeservedly won that game, welcome to the bad times.

Writing is on the wall and several guys are just about bucked with no real sign off replacement of good quality to take their places - DOC, D'Arcy, Fat boy in t'3 shirt Ross really struggling and a waste of space outside of t'set piece.

Centres bare, what choice has he for Paris?
Back row - not a good unit and no obvious player for 7 shirt so SOB will continue
Sexton not making the grade at 10, may never do at this stage.
ROG should have come on as soon as Bowe scored not when Wales scored & I wouldn't have taken off Murray, Reddan is woeful, always has been.

Doomed, without BOD to fight in the centre we are very very ordinary. Still could be worse, we could be England, one of my few laughs today was listening to them trying to paint a satisfactory gloss on the worst international performance in memory - no scoring chances except for a charge down. Shameful.

[Jackie Brown]

I foresee two changes against France, same tactics, chance for players to redem themselves, circle the wagons, yadda yadda. Kidney's mumbling to the media does my loaf in, the man hasn't a clue.

Swear to god, serious Deja vu!

[Rooster]

I foresee two changes against France, same tactics, chance for players to redem themselves, circle the wagons, yadda yadda. Kidney's mumbling to the media does my loaf in, the man hasn't a clue.

Swear to god, serious Deja vu!

If that means we get Paddy, Dan and Chris back for Friday night I'm all for it Jackie, in fact since TC is only worth a few minutes they can send him back as well, I'm sure Healy could last another couple of minutes at the end of the match.

[rocky]

I guess we'll know more when the team for Paris is announced but I will be surprised if we get all of them back. The French back line has Fofana, Rougerie and Malzieu (and Clerc) Our lads didn't give them a sniff of the try line in Clermont so maybe Paddy should be at 12 - he couldn't have been worse than Darcy was on Saturday. But he won't, of course. The other option is Tommy at 13 with McFadden at 12, to counter Rougerie's size. But I'm sure it will be Earls, if his baby is better. The same old players, the same old tactics, the same old result. Really depressed.

[Snipe Watson]

Good shout Roaster. The 6N distraction at the weekend was all well and good, but we have a game on Friday.

[Cracker]

And typical of Irish rugby they gave this man an extended contract BEFORE the World cup as they did with O Sullivan. If he goes there will be another big pay off. Will they never learn? No!

[Rooster]

The Irish Times - Tuesday, November 22, 2011

The hope is to announce a new team manager before the Six Nations opener against Wales on February 5th.

There will, however, not be a new backline coach to replace Alan Gaffney, whose contract wasn’t extended prior to the World Cup, unlike Kidney, defence coach Less Kiss, forwards coach Gert Smal and kicking coach Mark Tainton.

The union view is that there is not enough preparatory time to add a new voice to the coaching ticket ahead of the Six Nations.

Kidney, Kiss and Tainton – who along with Smal are contracted until the end of next season – will oversee Ireland’s attacking strategy.

Browne has previously stated that Kidney is permitted to bring in a new backline expert, so this may be reconsidered before the three-Test series in New Zealand next summer.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/spo ... 50286.html

[pythagoras]

And typical of Irish rugby they gave this man an extended contract BEFORE the World cup as they did with O Sullivan. If he goes there will be another big pay off. Will they never learn? No!

If you wine and dine your girl in the finest restaurants and she let's you down you can hardly expect the replacement to be happy with fish suppers. It's a matter of precedent.

[fuzzylogic]

by Shan » Mon Feb 06, 2012 12:16 am

Then again Wales are not so good that they couldn't make a right árse of it against either Scotland or England.

Dont see this Wales team doing that. They just look too composed.

Wales v France could be a cracker this season!

by BaggyTrousers » Mon Feb 06, 2012 3:24 am

Sexton not making the grade at 10, may never do at this stage.

I beg to differ Baggy. Under a coach and a playing system that would allow Sexton to play his natural game rather than trying to force him in to the O'Gara mould Ireland would have a real gem at 10.