Leinster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread VI: End of the MOC [Revenge of the STH]

awec

Deleted User wrote: »

Must have gotten himself a job in UCD then, because Leinster are sponsored by VW and so he'd not need an Audi!

They don't all drive VWs though! You think that thing Cian Healy drives around in is a VW?

Anyway, overheard him saying that even though Leinster are sponsored by VW he feels the head coach must drive a better motor than his players.

He also had a 3fe coffee cup in his hand and had a tupparware full of smoked salmon crackers with cheese under his arm. What more proof do you need?

.ak

awec wrote: »

They don't all drive VWs though! You think that thing Cian Healy drives around in is a VW?

Anyway, overheard him saying that even though Leinster are sponsored by VW he feels the head coach must drive a better motor than his players.

He also had a 3fe coffee cup in his hand and had a tupparware full of smoked salmon crackers with cheese under his arm. What more proof do you need?

Tupparware?! Hahah. You can take the man out of Ballincollig but...

thomond2006

I saw Madigan in Dublin Airport today. Those rumours about going to the Miami Dolphins must be true.

aimee1

thomond2006 wrote: »

I saw Madigan in Dublin Airport today. Those rumours about going to the Miami Dolphins must be true.

His contract must be up for renewal so

Larbre34

aimee1 wrote: »

His contract must be up for renewal so

Not even as a joke.

Clegg

Irish Times reporting that Tony Brown is the leading name for the Leinster job. Former All Black and current backs coach of the Highlanders.

Buer

Hey, he's not who I suggested but it's in the same ball park!

Would be a really interesting and exciting appointment, if he was to take it.

dub_skav

Clegg wrote: »

Irish Times reporting that Tony Brown is the leading name for the Leinster job. Former All Black and current backs coach of the Highlanders.

If I remember rightly we can also blame him for the proliferation of those poxy rugby gloves

Teferi

Interesting. Any SuperXV/Higlanders fans want to give us a little on what they think of him? From the table they seem to be doing well. Their defence could be tighter but they're scoring plenty of points.

.ak

I could live with that. Get Kurt back as defence coach and bobs your uncle.

sydthebeat

Their defense is actually very good.
Those league stats are heavily skewed by two heavy defeats (hurricanes away today and brumbies away) in which they rested their first teamers and gave the reserves a run out.

Highlanders scramble defense has been excellent all year, and 5 m close quarter defending has great too, but both of those are down to team ethos.

In attack however we've excelled this year and browns the attacking coach) Lima sopoaga is very much a playmaker 10 in the mould of sexton, very comfortable from the boot and a knack of putting his strike runners through. .. he's a bolter for the rwc.

I don't know anything really of browns resume, but if he could bring the attack that the Highlanders have shown over the last 2 seasons to Leinster, we'd be drooling!!

Buer

Teferi wrote: »

Interesting. Any SuperXV/Higlanders fans want to give us a little on what they think of him? From the table they seem to be doing well. Their defence could be tighter but they're scoring plenty of points.

Syd and our Kiwi posters are best placed to comment but from the few games I've seen of them, they've looked really good in attack. He has a few great backs in the shape of Smith x 2 and Fekitoa but guys like Liam Sopoaga have emerged as excellent players under him.

.ak

Any link to the times article?

Tim Robbins

I would excited with Brown coming over. I struggle to name Irish coaches who I would consider innovative and capable of getting a team to play good attacking rugby. If we want the game to thrive in this country we need to product great coaches, great refs, great players and great fans.

Now I am fearing there is a formula: get the best 5 schools players every year on academy contracts, Get them in the gym. Get them 2 of them graduating from the academy program into the senior team every year. Pay a kiwi coach.

I know it can sound a bit idealistic (and off the point) but I'd love to see the game developed more from the grass roots.

Buer

.ak wrote: »

Any link to the times article?

Here you go.

Former All Black outhalf Tony Brown has emerged as a leading candidate to become the next Leinster head coach.

The 40-year-old, who only retired in 2011, despite winning the last of 18 New Zealand caps in 2001, has already made an impressive impact as Otago coach.

This season he was added to the Highlanders backroom staff where he’s been credited with the scintillating form of their backline.

With Robbie Deans, the initial favourite to succeed Matt O’Connor, and former Leinster forwards coach Jono Gibbes, having signed a new contract with ASM Clermont Auvergne, both ruled out of consideration, Brown comes with a similar profile to previously successful Leinster coaches Michael Cheika and Joe Schmidt.

Neither Schmidt nor Cheika held significant head coaching roles before their arrival in Dublin.

Brown has guided Otago to the play-offs in 2012 and 2013, and also captured the Ranfurly Shield for the first time in 56 years, all this following six years as player-coach with Sanyo Wild Knights in Japan.

But it’s the Highlanders revival this season that has enhanced his reputation as an innovative attacking coach in the Schmidt mould.

Currently fourth in the table, the franchise last reached a Super Rugby final in 1999 when Brown was their resident outhalf.

“Browny is a student of the game,” said Lima Sopoaga, the current Highlanders outhalf in a recent interview. “He’s always thinking of ways to outsmart people. Even though he played (with physicality), his coaching style doesn’t reflect that. He’s a very smart coach.

“Browny is all about the three point attack. You can go through them, around them or behind them and that’s what we’re trying to do. It doesn’t matter where we are on the field, we feel like the three options are always available to us.”

Sounds a lot like the Leinster way under Schmidt. His credentials seem to make him an immediate boon to the returning Johnny Sexton and Ian Madigan.

“Browny comes up with plays that really excite us all,” Sopoaga continued.

“That’s what I think is coming out in our game. Players are excited because we want to do these cool moves and we are challenging ourselves to execute them as best we can.

“I guess that creativity can disappear in professional rugby, but it doesn’t disappear from Browny. He’s always dreaming up new ways to score tries or new moves. It’s good fun.”

Brown also played a season in South Africa with the Stormers before moving to Japan.

That he’s an expert backs coach, and considering the departure of scrum coach Marco Caputo will be covered by John Fogarty’s promotion, his appointment would allow Leinster maintain their current indigenous coaching structures with Leo Cullen overseeing the forwards, which would have proved difficult if Gibbes returned, while adhering to a recruitment formula that has proved extremely successful.

molloyjh

Sounds good, and is the most realistic option floated by the press so far. He's exactly the kind of guy I'd expect to see us sign.

matthew8

Highlanders are the joint best coached team in the league. Exceptional efficiency in the backs. A bit reliant on the 2 Smiths but there's not much else they have in the backs, and it's always going to hurt when you lose 2 of the best in the world at their position. I would be very happy if he was picked, would be another good Dawson selection.

CatFromHue

If Browny comes to Leinster he has to change his name to Browner!

.ak

Ah, quote seems a bit speculative... Would be a great appointment but I won't hold my breath!

vienne86

Really know nothing about Brown, but sounds like he could be a very good fit for Leinster.

CatFromHue

Was he head coach at Otago?

He looks very inexperienced with only 3 seasons head coach at ITM level and 1 season assistant coach at Super level.

The ITM Cup has only a season of 9 or 10 games I think.

Also if he's signed up to coach Otago again this year he won't be free to join us until mid to late October.

irishbucsfan

CatFromHue wrote: »

Was he head coach at Otago?

He looks very inexperienced with only 3 seasons head coach at ITM level and 1 season assistant coach at Super level.

The ITM Cup has only a season of 9 or 10 games I think.

Also if he's signed up to coach Otago again this year he won't be free to join us until mid to late October.

He's got about the same levels of experience as other successful coaches we've had, and there's no way he's going to be a candidate if he's not available for pre-season.

CatFromHue

The thing that makes me question him is that the ITM is so short and that how will he deal with a season that starts in July, pre season training, and ends at the end of May. That'll be completely new to him.

Both MOC and Schmidt would have experienced it with Leicester and Clermont and both those clubs would have been at a higher level with International players. In fairness to the Otago players they're on rung 3 of the NZ ladder and he wouldn't be dealing with any International players either.

He would prob be one of the most inexperienced coaches would have since Gary Ella I think, even Cheika had 4 or 5 years coaching experience before he joined us.

Tox56

That would be a really exciting appointment. A definite risk but I don't mind them taking some risks, this is how the Schmidt's of the world are found

Buer

CatFromHue wrote: »

Was he head coach at Otago?

He looks very inexperienced with only 3 seasons head coach at ITM level and 1 season assistant coach at Super level.

The ITM Cup has only a season of 9 or 10 games I think.

Also if he's signed up to coach Otago again this year he won't be free to join us until mid to late October.

He was head coach of Otago for 2 seasons (2012 and 2013) and this is his second season as coach at S15 level. His arrival seems pretty central to the turnaround in the fortunes of the Highlanders.

Otago were pretty much on the verge of folding when he arrived and a financial mess with complete uncertainty whether they'd go into liquidation. They were the bottom side in 2010 and slightly better in 2011. He came in and brought them to the play offs in consecutive seasons.

He's no longer head coach of Otago; he had to give up that post when joining the Highlanders. Their head coach is Cory Brown (Tony's brother) who was with Connacht until last season.

Interested Observer

All this sounds quite encouraging and since he's a bit of a left field candidate it makes me think there might be something to it rather than just naming people like Deans or McKenzie or whoever.

irishbucsfan

Might as well get the Brown-Town flag printed up for the D-4tress.

Buer

CatFromHue wrote: »

He would prob be one of the most inexperienced coaches would have since Gary Ella I think, even Cheika had 4 or 5 years coaching experience before he joined us.

He was player coach in the Japanese Top League too.

CatFromHue

Well if you like him so much Buer why don't you marry him?

:pac:

Buer

CatFromHue wrote: »

Well if you like him so much Buer why don't you marry him?

:pac:

Eh, because of his wife Alexandra?




Sometimes I think I use Google too much.