New Munster Coach

thehighground

No surprise here ... Good to see some continuity with staff.

McGahan the man for Munster

By Barry Coughlan (Irish Examiner)

TONY McGAHAN is the new coach to Heineken Cup champions Munster, with his appointment to be formally confirmed possibly as early as today.

The Australian will succeed the province’s most successful coach, Declan Kidney, though his backroom team has yet to be finalised, with Munster branch officials waiting to put the final pieces of the jigsaw into place later this week.

McGahan was an early favourite to replace Kidney, having won the respect of the Munster players with his innovative coaching techniques as defence and backs coach. Munster officials were keen to maintain continuity through this glorious period in the province’s rugby history. Such has been the impact of McGahan since his arrival in Ireland to replace Graham Steadman that he was considered the front runner from the moment Kidney announced his decision to accept the Ireland coaching job.

It is understood approaches were made to McGahan with regard to a position in the national set-up, but he is keen to prove himself as a No 1 at the highest level in northern hemisphere rugby.

Munster officials were preoccupied yesterday with the Heineken Cup draw that saw the champions drawn in another difficult pool with French opponents Clermont-Auvergne and Montauban, plus Sale, so there was little hint that the confirmation of the appointment was imminent.

Chief executive Garret Fitzgerald explained: “Everyone has been taking a bit of time off in the last two weeks, a lot of management people have been out of the country, and it’s something we have to work on this week.

“We’ve done a lot of work on it and I would hope we will be doing something on it in the next week. That’s the hope.”

However the Irish Examiner understands McGahan’s appointment and details of the announcement have already been signed off by Lansdowne Road chiefs.

McGahan has built up a special relationship with the Munster squad, and the affinity he has for the province was evident in comments he made to this newspaper prior to the Heineken Cup final.

“It is a unique place; very hard to equate with anything in world rugby. It is a special place and it is hard to explain to people back home about the culture and the synergy that flows through the whole area and the people at Heineken Cup time, right through Magners League. It’s a real rugby community.”

McGahan is only 35, played rugby union while boarding at St Joseph’s, Nudgee College in Brisbane and spent time playing professional rugby league with Brisbane Broncos.

Later, after qualifying as a physical education teacher, he turned to coaching and had jobs at different levels before his appointment as assistant coach to the Australian under 19 World Cup side. He moved on to Japan for a year as head coach with the IBM club before securing a role with Munster.

Chief executive Fitzgerald did confirm that Munster had retained all the players they wanted for next year but said the hunt for new personnel would continue.

He observed: “We are always keeping our eye out and we’re looking maybe to recruit one back row player if a suitable one becomes available. But that’s only a case of if someone is better than what we have in our squad at the moment.

“A lot of work has been done on that since before Declan moved on. Recruitment these days is an ongoing 12 months of the year operation, but people have to realise the availability of top quality players in top professional rugby is very limited, and most of the top players and coaches are permanently in contract.”

Pshan

I hope it's true, I was worried he may take a role in the Irish Camp but it look like he will take the Munster job.

zAbbo

Good choice, does that mean Bradley will still be at Connacht

bugler

Bradley is in a funny position. He probably needs a better side to coach than Connacht to get a true appraisal of his coaching talents, but no other province will give him the chance. He didn't merit the Munster gig.

GreenHell

He should have been given ulster when the chance came up. Not sure what he'll end up doing now

marco_polo

GreenHell wrote: »

He should have been given ulster when the chance came up. Not sure what he'll end up doing now

He will have to give some serious consideration to coaching abroad, as long as he remains at Connacht there will always be too many doubts over his abilities, as it is impossible to judge what is down to resourcing and what is down to his abilities as a coach.

Except of course, if his successor happened to lead them to the ML title the next season .

thehighground

Its confirmed on the Munster website: http://www.munsterrugby.ie/

McGahan The New Munster Coach
18 June 2008, 1:18 pm
By Pat Geraghty

The position of Munster Director of Coaching vacated by the appointment of Declan Kidney as Ireland international coach, has been filled by Munster when they confirmed today that Tony McGahan will succeed Kidney.
The appointment has been ratified by IRFU and McGahan will take up the appointment on July 1st when he returns from his native Australia, where he is currently on vacation.

Speaking from Sydney McGahan said, "I am delighted to be chosen as the next Munster Director of Coaching. It is a privilege and a great honour to be asked to lead one of the top clubs and biggest brand names in world rugby

?Having been involved with Munster for the past three seasons I fully realise what the expectations of all Munster supporters are. With a solid group of senior players at my disposal plus an exciting batch of young players coming through, a talented management group and strong administration, I hope to continue and fulfil those expectations in the short and long term.

?I am looking forward to the challenges ahead, both in Magners League and Heineken Cup competitions. I have enjoyed my time working under Declan Kidney and would like to wish him all the very best in his role with the national side.

Munster Chief Executive Garrett Fitzgerald said, ? I am very pleased that the process to fill the position has been finalised and done so in such an expedient manner.

?Tony McGahan has been involved with us for the past number of years, a period that saw him play an integral part in our Heineken Cup success and consistency in the Magners League. In that time he has displayed all the qualities that we believe are required to keep Munster to the forefront and we wish him well in the challenging times that lie ahead.

With regard to the Forwards Coach position vacated by Jim Williams, Fitzgerald confirmed that would it not be further progressed until McGahan has taken up his appointment.

An old video interview (from May) with him among others on Munster View can be found here:

http://www.munsterrugby.ie/340_522.php

dc69

I think Bradley will have a better chance to prove himself next year,he will have some very good young players and he will for sure have a better team than previous years.

A young backline playing with confidence can carve up any team,fowards are not really the same.

Connaught to cause a few surprises next year


The Munster appointment is a good one imo.

RuggieBear

i don't think it is good for irish rugby that three of the provinces to have non irish coaches.

When Cheika moves on in the next season or two i would hope that he is replaced by an up an coming irish coach from AIL or where ever.

Jilm

RuggieBear wrote: »

When Cheika moves on in the next season or two i would hope that he is replaced by an up an coming irish coach from AIL or where ever.

Michael Bradley is watching and waiting :pac:. . . .

phog

RuggieBear wrote: »

i don't think it is good for irish rugby that three of the provinces to have non irish coaches.

When Cheika moves on in the next season or two i would hope that he is replaced by an up an coming irish coach from AIL or where ever.

In a way I agree with you especially if you're talking about development of coaches as much as rugby. Coaches like players and refs need to be able to aspire to top jobs.

On the other hand, Williams and now McGahan have some knowledge of Irish rugby as both would have close links with some of the provinces.

Anyway, I'm delighted that Munster got McGahan as I really thought he might be head hunter for an Irish job.

vladimirtheass

phog wrote: »

Anyway, I'm delighted that Munster got McGahan as I really thought he might be head hunter for an Irish job.

Couldn't agree with you more.

I do feel sorry for Bradley, although I didn't want him to get the Munster job, he seems stuck in Connaught. He has three options as I see it. First give it another lash with Connaught, they have signed a couple more quality players and will hopefully be more competitive next season. Second look for a post overseas, somewhere like Newcastle. Third he could take a step down in the pecking order to an assissant in the Munster or Irish setup and move from there to a bigger job.It looks like it'll be the first option for him this year though.

High&Low

RuggieBear wrote: »

i don't think it is good for irish rugby that three of the provinces to have non irish coaches.

When Cheika moves on in the next season or two i would hope that he is replaced by an up an coming irish coach from AIL or where ever.

I think the fact that the teams are not coached by Irish coaches is a reflection of what is available in Ireland.

I don't think it is really possible for an AIL coach to step up to the likes of the Leinster job, it is too big a step up. In order for Irish coaches to develop they need to start off in the backroom of Leinster or Munster, or perhaps over in the premiership in England.

GreenHell

Well ya, there is no way an AIL coach could ever take over the top job at any province. But you would like to see the likes of the top AIL coaches fastracked into the backroom staff.

zAbbo

vladimirtheass wrote: »

Second look for a post overseas, somewhere like Newcastle.

Newcastle still have players like Johnny Wilkinson,Carl Hayman and Matt Burke, and have recently let Toby Flood and Matthew Tait go because of the time they spend with England and to free up some funds.

They'd be mad to hire the coach of the most consistently poor Magners team to turn things around...

If Bradley had taken Connacht to the HC, or even anywhere out of the bottom 2, it would be a different story.

Nothing in his 5 year stint indicates that he's fit to coach professionally.