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The Kidney quandary: Time for a change?
By Rory McGimpsey
Another international rugby season is fast approaching and the $64,000 dollar question for Irish rugby fans is this: has the moment finally arrived for Ireland to change their head coach?
Until recently, the mere suggestion of replacing the man who led Ireland to only their second Grand Slam, and who secured two Heineken Cup victories at Munster, would have been considered heresy. It was assumed that Kidney's coaching achievements had guaranteed him some job security. But, following a string of disappointing results and performances, many pundits in the Irish game feel that the time is right for a change.
There are several reasons for the seismic shift in attitudes. Firstly, Kidney's palpable failure to follow up on the Grand Slam triumph of 2009 has fostered genuine concerns over his stewardship of the national team. A few exceptions notwithstanding, Ireland's performances since that epic day in Cardiff have been average at best.
Since capturing the elusive Slam, Ireland have produced only two performances that have replicated the intensity and quality of 2009: the victory over England in the 2011 Six Nations, and the superb destruction of Australia in last year's Rugby World Cup.
Those occasions aside, Ireland's performances have been characterised by mediocrity and stagnation.
Of particular concern is the lack of inspiration that is impeding the development of the team. While the forwards have largely excelled throughout Kidney's tenure, the backs have been conspicuously lacking in spark and imagination. With a back-line that includes Rob Kearney, Jonathan Sexton, Brian O'Driscoll and Tommy Bowe, such inertia is positively criminal.
A lack of invention has been painfully apparent throughout Kidney's reign, and is unquestionably hampering the team's ambitions. Since his time at Presentation Brothers, Cork and throughout his stint at Munster, Kidney has been renowned as a conservative coach. His coaching success has been built on pragmatic, win at all costs principles.
While this philosophy has served him well throughout his coaching career, it is now constraining an Irish team that is capable of so much more. How infuriating it is to compare the fluid, 15-man style of Leinster to the staid and turgid approach of the national team. The disparity is further highlighted by the fact that the personnel of the respective back-lines are fundamentally the same.
Ireland's backs can only be green with envy at the creativity and innovation displayed by their Welsh counterparts. Kidneys myopia is further evidenced by his failure to replace Alan Gaffney as attack coach, preferring instead to rely on his trusted lieutenants, Les Kiss and Mark Tainton. Attack coaches are de rigueur in the modern game, and the decision betrays an appalling lack of vision. Perhaps such conservatism is only to be expected of a coach who has routinely preferred the steady O'Gara to the mercurial, but brilliant Sexton.
Similarly, Kidney's lamentable failure to identify a feasible successor to Brian O'Driscoll is particularly worrying. While the Irish captain will prove impossible to replace as an icon, it is imperative that Ireland produce a player of sufficient calibre to occupy the pivotal outside centre position.
Rather than think outside the box, Kidney has tended to opt for the safe Keith Earls. Although a winger of undoubted potential, Earls lacks the physicality and defensive nous to play 13. Darren Cave and Fergus McFadden are the only players in the squad with the pedigree to fulfil the role, while the tragedy in Ulster last week has denied Ireland another outstanding young candidate.
If Kidney persists with Earls at outside centre, it will be another indication that he has run out of ideas. There are those within the Irish game who are convinced that a change of coach is inevitable.
I am not inclined to agree. Ireland should stick with Kidney. If he removes the shackles, the Cork man has the experience and knowledge to re-invigorate this Irish side. Kidney has done substantially more for Irish rugby than any of his predecessors. It would be unthinkable if that legacy were lost.
Given all that he has achieved, Kidney deserves another chance. It is imperative, however, that his team re-discover its attacking instincts, and fast. If Kidney is in need of inspiration, he does not need to look too far.
For the last three years, Leinster has been at the vanguard of European rugby. It may be time for the IRFU to reverse their long established preference for home grown coaches. For if Ireland were to make the bold decision remove their head coach, Leinster's Joe Schmidt is the obvious replacement.
Comments
damo says...
We need a pro 7s team can PR run an article on how Ireland is the only country in the world almost without this and has tonns of young talent not being improved through htis means, also to confirm Darcy playing for Ireland is a joke on any form in the past 3 years, I can speak of 4 or 5 games his missed tackles or constant knock ons cost us or the fact his opponents manage 30+ tries in far less caps in their career - even Keith Wood scored more tries than him!!!!!!!!!!!!!
7s team first second Kidney needs to cop the F on to himself and pick players on form and talent - use some of his sports scientists to tell him Tiernan Ohalloran is far better then Duffy for Connaught why is Duffy in any Irish squad? Sorry Gavin and Gordon but its true, for us to win we pick the best players and so far Kidney hasn't done this!!!!!!!!
Come on Ireland we could win World Cups if we got our act together!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Connaught to prove a few shocks in this years HC !!!
Jimmy mcnicoll of Canterbury in ITM cup is worlds best 15 Ireland need to contract him now and he can play for Munster (desperately need a 15) this lad is class !!!!!!!!!!!
Posted 22:26 10th October 2012
RoryMcGimpsey says...
I completely agree with the idea of Bowe at outside centre. That would be thinking outside the box!
Posted 23:00 02nd October 2012
melkdave says...
All i can say is R.Deans gets sacked or decides to leave the wallaby camp.The IRFU should try and move heaven and earth to get him.He would certinally blood the talant in Ireland ,and get them playing as a team/unitto a gameplan that works for them.
Posted 15:01 02nd October 2012
99call says...
The unfortunate thing we have here is that we are all in agreement that Kidney is not the right person for the job but the IRFU have not seen that yet or, which is more likely, are too scared of the Munster backlash if they get rid of him, there is more than one province in our country but yet we still insist in rolling out old players who are passed it and overlooking young talent in the other provinces and over the pond as we still try to play """Munster Rugby"""
Our game plan for the last 5 to 10 years has been based on what the Munster pack was able to bring to the table which was fine when the pack had 7 or 8 munstermen in it, but we are still sticking with it when the current first choice pack will have 1 maybe 2 munster players in there, so Kidneys is trying to impose a game plan based on one provinces' style on a bunch of players who dont play like that every week and in doing so he is leaving the backs to wonder around wondering what to do as we dont have an attack coach.
Its time to move on and bring in a new coach with new ideas, look what Anscombe is doing at Ulster theyre are playing top class rugby with players that were only on the fringes of the squad last year becasue he has them well organised and is getting the best out of them unlike Kidney who is disorganised and wasting the talent that we have.
We dont just need a new coach we need a clean out of the IRFU big boys and get some people in without provincial chips on their shoulders
Posted 12:49 02nd October 2012
blametheref says...
The IRFU cannot persist in rewarding failure. If the bar is to be raised in Irish rugby then so have the consequences for not raising it. Martin Johnson, an England legend, who started his job after Kidney, was quickly dispatched even though he got England further than Ireland in the last World Cup, yet Kidney kept his job...It is lettuce-leaf limp to buy into the propaganda that was spun by the IRFU that there was no one else that could do as good a job as Kidney under the circumstances. Brian O' Driscoll has alluded to the fact that the Irish backline, under Kidney, didn't really know in most matches what they were actually trying to do in their respective and weird pairings. For example, Murray with Sexton, Reddan with O' Gara and the constant switching of 10's for every consecutive game and the moving around of Earls like a sacrifical chess pawn, even though the dogs in the street know Earls is a winger, and a bloody good one too, and not a 12, 13 or 15 at International level. At 12, when D'arcy was injured, we had the constant bolt-hole mentality of putting anyone who was available into the slot in the hope they might come good, when there was a specialist 12 playing for a top club Kidney probably never heard of, Northampton...Downey was never even considered, just like Kidney left the selections of Ireland's two most important players, O' Brien and Ross 18 months too late...All of a sudden Downey is now selected at 31...Quite plainly, Kidney isn't up to the job...And if you don't believe me, just check out Ireland's recent results
Posted 09:19 02nd October 2012
Norm says...
Very good precis on where we are in irish rugby and roundly agree with all, except for Schmidt as coach. That is not a statement about Schmidt, but rather reflecting a concern I have that provincial issues and bias have been allowed to interefere in the picking and functioning of this team.
Bring somone without the baggage in!
Posted 23:49 26th September 2012
crunchfit says...
Even as a Leinster fan I don't think McFadden is up to standard for a centre. He's very fast, but I don't know what else he offers. He plays like D'Arcy but doesn't even have the same penetration. I see much more potential in the younger centres coming through Munster, Leinster and Ulster, and some of them are even more effective at the moment. I think McFadden seemed like the future before they got game time for the provincial sides, but now that they've had some game time, I think they're the future. And it's great to see that there will be competition there in the future. I had Spence marked for Ireland's 12. RIP.
Posted 19:19 26th September 2012
spike19 says...
Exactly my point Ian Whitten could be an option but needs a good run of form and exposure then he needs Kidney to pick him which is the hard part especially as he's in England. At Connacht Dave McSharry and Eoin Griffin have looked an impressive pair.
I think a physical 12 is really what Ireland need someone like Downey but younger, Chris Farrell at Ulster is a real talent if he can get some game time. At 13 its more about that magical combination of awareness, tenacity and creativity. BOD or Conrad Smith who aren't huge but are able to dance through defences with clever running lines and put their outside backs into space are probably the premier 13s in the world right now.
I think that the most natural 13 after BOD in Ireland is Eoin O'Malley. He used to play 10 so is a very good footballer and has a sharp rugby nous. His attacking play is very instinctive he has a deadly swerving sidestep. I think given more time at Leinster he could be great but he cant wait around, someone needs to forcibly take the jersey off BOD and make there mark in it.
Posted 15:15 26th September 2012
99call says...
spike19 you have a good point about the current state of the oppos centre partnerships they are all massive in comparision to what we have in pipeline to replace Darc/Bod so as much as I do believe we have some talented centres coming through I dont think the likes of Earls, O'Malley and Cave can match up physically against the likes of Roberts, Rougerie, Tuilagi etc.
We cant expect BOD to still be playing come the 2015 RWC so there needs to be some changes now so we can build for that comp. No one wants to see BOD retire but I think on current form no one would miss Darcy so move BOD inside and try some new combinations with him such as Bowe, Luke Marshall or even give Fitzgerald a run to see if he can live up to his potential, and another name to throw into the pot is Ian Whitten who is first choice 13 at Exeter I really hope a season there of first team rugby will be the making of him.
I have a feeling we may have to skip the current mid 20s and look at the players in their early 20s as they have the potential to be our real future
Posted 10:03 26th September 2012
3in4 says...
The thing that has really riled me is how he has stuck with his Munster mates O'Gara and O'Callaghan, even though they have been over the hill for years now
Posted 09:09 26th September 2012
spike19 says...
I cant agree more about McFadden, he is not an international standard 13 its not his natural position. To be honest currently the stocks are pretty low behind BOD and D'arcy I cant really see the likes of McFadden, Earls or Cave fronting against centres like Smith/Nonu, Roberts/Davies, Mermoz/Rougerie, Tuilagi/Joseph.
Clearly there is a considerable gap is class between the incumbents and potential successors. The only way to solve this is by promoting the next generation, the likes of Eoin O'malley, Brendan Macken, David Macsharry, Chris Farrell and Danny Barnes. Thats the way they do it in NZ with effective results.
Posted 17:57 25th September 2012
99call says...
Sorry but I cant agree that McFadden is capable of playing 13 at the top level, he was woeful against Wales last year and is not strong enough defensively, surely we are lissing the obvious as the the replacement for BOD, it has to Be Tommy Bowe. He won a Lions test against SA at 13 and played repeatedly for the Ospreys when he was there. He's the complete rugby player and we have plenty of top class wingers even McFadden is capable of playing there, but with Earls, Timble, Zebo, Gilroy, D Kearney we can afford to move Tommy into the middle.
I do agree that the above is a true reflection of irish rugby and as much as I respect Kidney he must either move or take his red tinted glasses off and realise there are talented players both north of the border and over the pond. for example the best 7 in Ireland last year was Chris Henry but he is behind OBrien and OMahoney, both top class players but both 6s not 7s and that was made painfully obvious by our lack of effectiveness at the breakdown on too many occasions.
We need a neutral eye to select the best players no matter what province theyre from or where they play.
Kidney has got us here but we now need to move on and take advantage of the young talent we have so time for a change
Posted 14:50 25th September 2012
HenryFitz says...
A good read other than the risible promotion of McFadden as a long-term option at 13, ahead of Keith Earls. Cave is a very good player, and the battle between him and Earls is a close one, but McFadden doesn't have the hands, elusiveness or nous to play 13. Though he's a handy 12.
Posted 14:28 25th September 2012
crunchfit says...
Very good read, and accurate. However, give Kidney another chance? Absolutely not. We've been waiting and pressuring for change for years now and it still hasn't come. Why would he change now? He is a joke. He has wasted opportunities and the best talent we've ever had and made stupid, amateurish decisions for years now, time after time at various parts of his coaching duties. I'm sick of it, most Irish fans are. He's had his chance, he's repeatedly failed and now it's time for him to go. Good riddance.
Posted 14:00 25th September 2012
spike19 says...
2009 was a massively dominant year for Irish Rugby. 6 Nations Grandslam, Heineken Cup, 14 players on the Lions Tour, an unbeaten season and the emergence of exciting new talents like Heaslip, Ferris, Fitzgerald, OżLeary, Sexton, Healy, OżBrien and Kearney.
Since then I think itżs fair to say that Irish rugby has gone through a period of frustration and underachievement. A Triple Crown went a begging in 2010 after a shock loss to Scotland in Croke Park followed by a fairly disastrous tour to NZ and AUS with 0 wins from 3 games. The autumn was a mixed bag with a particularly frustrating loss to a very understrength Bok side. Sean OżBrien makes his mark on the test scene.
2011 and another 6 Nations and missed opportunity after a winnable game against France is lost with some flimsy defence on Rougerie by Dżarcy. In Cardiff the men in green suffer from the refereeżs poor decision on a Mike Phillips try but make a comeback only for Paddy Wallace to ignore the overlap and certain victory. Failure to gain silverware is glossed over by a high intensity performance against England in the Aviva.
After losing all 4 warm up game Ireland mount a decent group stage campaign, albeit against mostly limited opposition, with kidneys most significant coup since the Grandslam the defeat of Australia and toping of the group. The hysteria is quelled however after Ireland is dominated in almost facets by a powerful Welsh surge. The emergence of Conor Murray is positive at 9 where others had failed to impose themselves
One year on and after 8 test matches Ireland are ranked 8th in the world having been thrashed 60-0 by the Allblacks, scrummed of the pitch in Twickenham and failed to close out two winnable games against Wales and France.
Kidney has been in charge for 45 games wins 23, losses 20, draws 2. 13 of those wins have been against second rate opposition.
Posted 12:54 25th September 2012
melkdave says...
Have to agree its a very good assesment of irish rugby atm,and well written to boot.I would also add to D.Kidneys failings ,the fact he ignores irish players playing outside Ireland.How his ignorned J.Downey for years is a scandal,he should have been BODs centre partner 3-4 yrs ago,when G.D'Arcy lost his international form ,and never got it back,and the continued shunning of R.Caldwell is just as bad,a class player who with D.Ryan was being hailed as the new DOC/POC just being left in the cold.Also his shown himself to be amatuerish in the extreame ,in getting his backroom staff right.Its jnot just replacing A.Gaffney ,but he didnt even have a specalist scrum coach last 6Ns,and theiy're also derigour to the modern game ,does anyone know if thats been rectified yet??One saving grace is there are good quality players comming though,lets hope if D.Kidneys stays ,he doesnt waste them with his conserative gameplan,which by the way is the same as HMs bokke ,and we can see just how effective tthat is in todays modern game.New gameplan and vision ,needed by Mr Kidney ,or he has to go asap.imo.
Posted 11:35 25th September 2012
Rugbyfan1980 says...
Kieth Earls was excellent at the weekend against Dragons, but I do agree that Cave and Fergus can be an 'O'Driscoll.' The reason the that forwards are a match for any is that the Provinces have focused. Ulster brought in Mark Anscombe, a forward orientated coach for example. I, as an English Ulster fan, I hope that the 12 Ulstermen selected for the training squad get the chance to fight fairly for the Green shirt. Unfortunately all too often its Names v form. Paul O Connell hasnt played this season due to injury and yet was named in the training squad. A change at the top is needed.
Posted 10:27 25th September 2012
dodgyrog says...
very accurate assessment of the irish mamnagement, as all irish supporters will know we are so much more capable of this medecority.
Posted 10:11 25th September 2012