Connacht snub O'Sullivan

Shelflife

Theres alot of talk about EOS and how successful he was with Ireland.

What exactly did he win? the triple crown gets thrown up, but that was until recently a mythical trophy and in O sullivans time merely represented a runner up prize.

While im not disputing the fact that he was a good coach, he didnt actually win anything.

CatFromHue

Shelflife wrote: »

Theres alot of talk about EOS and how successful he was with Ireland.

What exactly did he win? the triple crown gets thrown up, but that was until recently a mythical trophy and in O sullivans time merely represented a runner up prize.

While im not disputing the fact that he was a good coach, he didnt actually win anything.

Maybe not but your putting 2012 expectations on a 2004 team. The Triple Crowns at the time were a very big thing, beating England alone at the time was a very big thing!

Podge_irl

Shelflife wrote: »

What exactly did he win?

Nothing. He came very, very close on a number of occasions but always fell short. Pretty much always because of bloody France.

There isn't exactly all that much to win at international level (outside of Test matches, though people seem obsessed with trophies these days) though.

tolosenc

Maybe the IRFU said no, because they've earmarked EOS to take over from Kidney in a few months...

flutered

Cookiemunster wrote: »

He has applied or put his name forward in the press for every job that has come up in the UK and Ireland in the last 2 years and hasn't had a sniff. There has to be a reason for this. Add to the fact that he hasn't coached club rugby for over a decade, I don't see why he should be interviewed.

i agree, just look at the real world, how many peeps apply for jobs that they are qualified to do, then never hear a word, do the press take up their case.

Tox56

If EOS was to take up the job his success wouldn't be measured in trophies anyway. Connacht aren't a team that will be regularly competing for silverware.

Cookiemunster

jamiedav2011 wrote: »

So take this for a scenario. A journalist has a column to write on rugby. Notices there's a large team who are manager less, and thinks about big names in world rugby who are out of a job. Rings Eddie and asks him 'Would you be interested in the ____ job Eddie'?

Now does O'Sullivan say:

A: No wouldn't be interested in going there at all
or
B: Yes I would be interested.

I don't think you can say that 'he's put his name forward in the press for every job that has come up in the UK and Ireland in the last 2 years', or that he 'hasn't had a sniff' to be honest.

He's obviously looking for a coaching job, is a quality manager and is bound to be linked.

Is that a reason to not consider him for Connacht? No for me.

You asked me to provide links. I provided links. The fact is there has been plenty of top jobs available in the last 2 years in which he's shown an interest, yet he's still unemployed and Connacht don't want to talk to him. There must be a reason for this.

Shelflife

Tox56 wrote: »

If EOS was to take up the job his success wouldn't be measured in trophies anyway. Connacht aren't a team that will be regularly competing for silverware.

Sorry but you are wrong there. they compete every year for silverware in the HC,Amlin and the Rabo, the fact they they may not be at the business end most years is not the point.

We need a coach to get us to the business end of a competition.not one thats just there to use us as a stepping stone.

Tox56

Shelflife wrote: »

Sorry but you are wrong there. they compete every year for silverware in the HC,Amlin and the Rabo, the fact they they may not be at the business end most years is not the point.

We need a coach to get us to the business end of a competition.not one thats just there to use us as a stepping stone.

But that is the point I'm trying to make. Do you agree that his success would not be measured in trophies?

He could coach for, say, 3 years and not win a single trophy.

But he would most likely be considered a success if he could, for example, bring Connacht to the final of the Amlin, or the QF of the Heineken Cup, or the top 6 in the Rabo etc

If he did some of those things I think his time there would be considered a success, even with 0 trophies won. What you would expect of him is to bring Connacht to the next level in terms of competitiveness, and I think he would be capable of that.

CIARAN_BOYLE

Shelflife wrote: »

Sorry but you are wrong there. they compete every year for silverware in the HC,Amlin and the Rabo, the fact they they may not be at the business end most years is not the point.

We need a coach to get us to the business end of a competition.not one thats just there to use us as a stepping stone.

EOS brought Ireland from being a poor team to a team that was at the business end of the six nations

DeDoc

jamiedav2011 wrote: »

So take this for a scenario. A journalist has a column to write on rugby. Notices there's a large team who are manager less, and thinks about big names in world rugby who are out of a job. Rings Eddie and asks him 'Would you be interested in the ____ job Eddie'?

Now does O'Sullivan say:

A: No wouldn't be interested in going there at all
or
B: Yes I would be interested.

I think that is the likeliest scenario in most of the examples

yobbo wrote: »

Eddie did the exact same stunt with Connacht as he did with Ireland. He demanded a longer contract and they called his bluff. He did similar with the IRFU just before the world cup and it was granted. Thankfully Connacht did as Warren Gatland was made coach.

My recollection (which may be wrong) was that he was U21 coach at the time (a part time gig) with Connacht appointing a full time coach for the first time. He was offered a 1 year gig, and wasn't prepared to take the risk. You can call that 'calling the bluff', but it is hardly totally unusual for a guy with a young family in a very uncertain and new environment. RE the Ireland job, the IRFU very much presented that as a win for them - i.e. "we've secured our man for another 4 years" - I'd say given the trajectory of the results at the time that they were leaders as much as followers in that deal (which I think was wrong btw - they should have learned the lesson from the Ashton fiasco some years earlier). In any case, as you say, it worked out well with Connacht getting Gatty.

.ak wrote: »

I wonder if it's a case of too much dodgy water under the bridge?

You'd hope that people are a bit more mature than that - is there anybody involved in the Connacht branch who would have had dealings with EOS before? There are very few guys in coaching at a high level who haven't ruffled a few feathers along the way. That might well be a factor in the decision, but given the time lapse since it (whatever it may be.....) happened, and his CV, a prudent thing would have been to have interviewed him, and if necessary confronted him on whatever concerns there were.

The Jaw wrote: »

May have to clear this with MOD on this one but isnt his nickname Dagger....Something to do with peoples backs?

My recollection of the nickname issue was that it went back to his playing days at Garryowen

durkadurka

Trevor Brennan tweets


@trevorbrennan1: Well done Connacht no Eddie in the west wouldn't let him coach the Connacht under 12 s keep Elwood legend

Podge_irl

Brennan doesn't like EOS cause he think he should have gotten more chances to play for Ireland during his tenure.

I don't, incidentally.

thomond2006

Yikes that's quite a statement by Trev.

jamiedav2011

durkadurka wrote: »

Trevor Brennan tweets


@trevorbrennan1: Well done Connacht no Eddie in the west wouldn't let him coach the Connacht under 12 s keep Elwood legend

Wow, stay classy there Trevor.

Fishooks13

How do those sour grapes taste Trevor?

GerM

durkadurka wrote: »

Trevor Brennan tweets


@trevorbrennan1: Well done Connacht no Eddie in the west wouldn't let him coach the Connacht under 12 s keep Elwood legend

I'd consider that a ringing endorsement of EOS.

[Jackass]

Can't believe they've snubbed O'Sullivan. They could do a lot worse than him.

I hear they're in for the current Clermont backs coach, Alex King.

Um, I'm not sure it works like that Connacht.... :pac:

[Jackass]

Podge_irl wrote: »

Brennan doesn't like EOS cause he think he should have gotten more chances to play for Ireland during his tenure.

I don't, incidentally.

He was a regular starter at the best club in Europe and was starting beside one of the best French locks of all time and he won a couple of Heineken Cups during his time there.

Not saying he should have been a regular starter for Ireland, but I think he should have been involved a lot more. It was his discipline that let him down though. Always wished he stayed at Leinster.

On a side note, that was a very classy tweet. :rolleyes: Makes him look very bitter indeed.

CatFromHue

[Jackass] wrote: »

He was a regular starter at the best club in Europe and was starting beside one of the best French locks of all time and he won a couple of Heineken Cups during his time there.

Not saying he should have been a regular starter for Ireland, but I think he should have been involved a lot more. It was his discipline that let him down though. Always wished he stayed at Leinster.

You have to remember around when he was playing for Toulouse (2002-2007) for Ireland his competition was Mal O Kelly (2 times Lions tourist), Paul O Connell (2 times Lions tourist), Donnacha O Callaghan (2 times Lions tourist), and then Leo Cullen and Gary Longwell were also on the scene at times. All of these guys were very good players.

I personally didn't think he was better than any of these guys. I'm not having a go but I don't see how he could have gotten any more caps in an area where Ireland actually had strength in depth!

Zzippy

[Jackass] wrote: »

Can't believe they've snubbed O'Sullivan. They could do a lot worse than him.

I hear they're in for the current Clermont backs coach, Alex King.

Um, I'm not sure it works like that Connacht.... :pac:

Not sure what you mean by that?

King applied for the job, and is on the shortlist following interview. Its not like Connacht chased him. And as far as Clermont assistant coaches go, well its worked out pretty well for another Irish province... :pac:

shuffol

Imagine how different perceptions of EOS would be had POC caught the restart against France in 07.

LuckyLloyd

Deleted User wrote: »

Applied for a job, didn't get called for interview.

So what?

Connacht possibly should have been more interested in him (I definitely think so anyway) but nothing he can do about it!

Eh, so it seems Connacht are not interested in hiring the best coach available because of personality issues / sour grapes. I think that is something every Irish rugby fan should be outraged over - and I can certainly understand his annoyance.

No - one Connacht can reasonably end up hiring will come close to O' Sullivan's experience or ability.

DeDoc

not appointing him is one thing - not having him on a shortlist given the calibre of the reported candidates is foolish IMO

AngeGal

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

Eh, so it seems Connacht are not interested in hiring the best coach available because of personality issues / sour grapes. I think that is something every Irish rugby fan should be outraged over - and I can certainly understand his annoyance.

No - one Connacht can reasonably end up hiring will come close to O' Sullivan's experience or ability.

To be honest I would far rather see someone like Alex King given a shot. EOS seems to pick favourites and doesn't seem to be a fantastic man manager - a skill that is probably more important at Connacht than a larger province.

Strange move by EOS to come out and slam Connacht though, surely doesn't enhance his employment prospects elsewhere.

[Jackass]

Zzippy wrote: »

Not sure what you mean by that?

King applied for the job, and is on the shortlist following interview. Its not like Connacht chased him. And as far as Clermont assistant coaches go, well its worked out pretty well for another Irish province... :pac:

Ah that was just my little jokey point, because King took over from Schmidt as backs coach at Clermont - so I was just saying don't expect to get a Schmidt just cause he's coming from.... oh forget it. Any joke that needs to be explained isn't funny anyway.

*gets coat and leaves

freyners

EOS was/still is a fantastic coach and compared to some of the names mentioned in the running, is probably a better option.

I actually am too young to remember Eddie at Connacht, but its been a long since he coached us and any bad feeling there should be well gone

However the posters here calling connacht/sears a disgrace for not shortlisting him need to get real, there could be any number of reasons for him not being shortlisted, from us not being able to afford him or his application turning up something that was not compatible with what we wished.

Considering he wasnt on the short list for ulster or munster either makes me wonder whats going on in the background all the same

.ak

[Jackass] wrote: »

Ah that was just my little jokey point, because King took over from Schmidt as backs coach at Clermont - so I was just saying don't expect to get a Schmidt just cause he's coming from.... oh forget it. Any joke that needs to be explained isn't funny anyway.

*gets coat and leaves

And don't come back!

Banned, for such a bad joke.








Which in itself is a joke. Oh, the ironing.

danthefan

Noel Mannion is making sense here, he's suggesting EOS was asked to put in a CV and that he simply does not accept the 6-10 coaches who are getting interviewed are all better coaches than EOS.

Risteard

danthefan wrote: »

Noel Mannion is making sense here, he's suggesting EOS was asked to put in a CV and that he simply does not accept the 6-10 coaches who are getting interviewed are all better coaches than EOS.

When Sean Holley is being considered a frontrunner and Eddie isn't even interviewed there's obviously something more to it.