Staying: Conor O'Shea
Related links
Teams
Also see
Harlequins director of rugby Conor O'Shea has ruled out taking over as Ireland coach should Declan Kidney leave the role.
Kidney lead Ireland to a Grand Slam in 2009, but his contract is up at the end of this year's Six Nations, with speculation that he may leave the role after defeats to England and Scotland.
O'Shea lead Harlequins to the Premiership title last season and Harlequins are currently top the Premiership table and in the quarter-finals of the Heineken Cup.
"I'm contracted to Harlequins until the end of the 2013-14 season. I will be honouring that commitment and hopefully continuing beyond it," said O'Shea to breakingnews.ie
Comments
Headhunter99 says...
This is a real Red Herring story.... the truth is and theres more... as Frank Carson used to say is that Neil Back is being lined up to take over !!!! After his famous last minute "hand of God" stunt against Munster he and the outgoing Pope are being parachuted in to give Ireland some divine intervention... LOL
@lawynd - Thats not such a bad idea, I'll call the RFU in my professional capacity and see if their interested !!! Split the fee if they say yes...
Posted 16:57 06th March 2013
Stag says...
O'shea is a real media guy. He's playing the game so that the IRFU will have to come to him cap in hand. He wants the job but on his terms. Why else would he bother keeping such a high profile over here if he didn't want the job? Would like to see him & Schmidt involved
Posted 21:46 03rd March 2013
kybone says...
Top_Kat- Yea and the vast majority of the players involved in winning the Grand Slam are now either over the hill or gone altogether. Yes Irish rugby has had a relatively successful period over the past 5/6 years, but just look at the side that took to the field against Scotland, it was not a particularly strong one. There are players missing, and some youngsters that will get better, but as of right now, based on the quality of players available, Ireland are a team that should not expect to finish any higher than 3rd or maybe even 4th had France been at the races.
Posted 15:42 27th February 2013
Top_Kat says...
You forgot the Grand Slam kybone.
Posted 14:21 27th February 2013
Rugby_rockstar says...
good post Kybone
Posted 13:01 27th February 2013
Rugby_rockstar says...
Lawynd, I'd back him for england in a second. Burt isn;t doing a bad job at the mo though :)
Posted 12:57 27th February 2013
JamieTheProp says...
Maybe he's taken a look at the players available and thought 'not now - hiding to nothing'.
While there are a few (generally playing at Ulster) coming though there isn't the strength in depth and there isn't a chance of winning anything serious.
Why spoil your reputation when you can stay with a successful club side and continue to enhance it - plus he'll want to win the HC before he goes (otherwise it will be unfinished business).
Posted 10:14 27th February 2013
ArmchairGeneral says...
John Mitchell might put his hand up / down / up / down ...
Posted 23:41 26th February 2013
ArmchairGeneral says...
@rockStar: Mallindar openly said he wanted the England role. OShea might have noted that did not help his chances or his teams results. But agree OShea would not want the Ireland job yet. It's hard to get a winning club (Dean Richards would not voluntarily have left except maybe for the England role before Martin Johnson were it not for bloodgate) and the shelflife can be way better as we can see with a club like Toulouse. Maybe he will go for Ireland with Nick Evans in a decade or so.
Posted 23:40 26th February 2013
kybone says...
rugby_rockstar- I've said the same thing on another thread. There are people calling for DK's head lef, right, and centre, but none of them have a genuine contender in mind to replace him! I remember exactly the same kind of scene when Eddie O'Sulllivan was being castigated by the Ireland fans, and they ended up with a man who's now in the same situation. Who's next? As i've pointed out previously, all 4 of the Irish provinces are to be coached by foreigners from next season, so the depth of talent in Irish coaching is not exactly what you call strong. A spell of Heineken cup success, and a cluster of triple crowns, and Irish fans suddenly seem to vastly overestimate the ability of their players.
Posted 18:37 26th February 2013
lawynd says...
Here's one that'll put the cat amongst the pigeons - what if O'Shea's ultimate desire is to coach England, given his involvement with the RFU as director of the Regional Academies?
Just a thought. ;)
Posted 17:57 26th February 2013
melkdave says...
Wouldnt expect anything else from C.O;Shea to be honest.He wont kick a man whos under pressure,and his very happy at Quins .After the RWC in 2015 he might reconsider,N.Mallet if his interested i think is the man for the job ,if Kidney goes,but hard to see N.Mallet being interested in just a 2 year contract to be honest.Failing that R.Deans may just quit the wallaby job,espically if they lose the Lions series,His under apprecitated there,and the media ect will be howling for his blood and head ,when the Lions are victorious.His one hell of a good coach,and brings young talant on quickly.So either of those 2 really f possible and their interested /available.
Posted 17:13 26th February 2013
rugby_rockstar says...
Watching the bbc coverage, you had Keith Wood and Phillip Matthews saying kidney should be asked to resign but when jerry guscott asked who was supposed to replace him keith wood had no answer at all, Jerry showed him and all the declan kideney detractors up for what they were: Upset fans looking for a cat to kick.
With idiots like that calling for your head on national TV, You'd want millions of euros to compensate for all the excrement you and your family would have to wade through day in day out. I mean why would connor o'shea want that when he's realtively under the media radar and master of his own castle at the stoop???
Last year, the only person interested in the england job was a national divison 1 coach who also coached the england B team. If Irish fans want the Ireland head coaching job to become an equally repellant poisoned chalice then just keep on ripping into Declan Kidney for issues than need to be addressed by the players. Just look at this year's european cup quarter final line up. The Irish players are not on song this season.
Why is it so hard to understand that the single most important factor in winning a rugby match is the 15 men on the pitch???
Posted 17:11 26th February 2013
dodgyrog says...
slightly misleading headline, you would have to be offered it first?
Posted 16:57 26th February 2013
papachinzo says...
I never expected him to take it nor do I think he's the right man for the job. Taking Ireland in its current state would be a terrible career move, I expect it to go to an aged coach with nothing to lose.
Posted 16:55 26th February 2013
99call says...
As you said BackingLeinster there isnt actually a job up for grabs at the minute so hes not going to add to the speculation that DK will be given the push at the end of the season
He may genuinely not want it at this stage of his career which is fair enough but it has to be a job that every irish coach would want at some point and the offer may not come along again
Anyway if he does want it great if he doesnt then thats fine too but the IRFU need to take their time and get the right man to lead us into the RWC 2015
Posted 16:25 26th February 2013
BackingLeinster says...
I wouldn't have expect O'Shea to say anything else. Even if he does want the job he has the class not to say it or to be adding to the calls for Kidney's head. Things may change when Kidney steps down or doesn't have his contract renewed (he should show some good grace and step down).
Posted 15:47 26th February 2013
Jediboy says...
You can't blame him. He's working wonders at Quins.
Never say never though I guess.
Posted 15:47 26th February 2013