RUGBY/Kidney appointment: Whatever joy the IRFU are having in holding onto the services of their elite players, they're having less success with their frontline coaches. By far the biggest loss to Irish rugby in recent times, though, occurred yesterday with the news Declan Kidney is to take over at the Gwent Dragons next season, writes Gerry Thornley, Rugby Correspondent.

Kidney led Munster to the 2000 and 2002 Heineken European Cup finals, as well as back-to-back interprovincial titles and a Celtic League final, presiding over the province's rejuvenation which was in turn central to the revived fortunes of Irish rugby generally since the turn of the millennium.

No doubt hopeful of returning to an Irish coaching role in the not-so-distant future, he will take up a two-year post with the Welsh regional outfit.

Kidney admitted he was "relishing the task" of coaching the Dragons when quoted in an official statement from the club.

He'll take over the helm on August 1st having seen out his contract with the IRFU.

"I am very excited to be here, and I am relishing the task before me," Kidney reportedly said. "Rugby in Gwent has very strong traditions, there is a great structure at the club and the players possess the ability to achieve great things. It is up to me to bring that out of them, and I will be working hard to do so. I have been very impressed with what I've seen, and there is a great base here to work from."

Kidney becomes the first non-Welsh coach of a regional professional team in the Principality, but Dragons benefactor Tony Brown said: "I had no qualms about going outside Wales for a coach. Declan has a huge pedigree and hopefully, we've got a man to move things forward here."

The Dragons have been the surprise package of Welsh rugby this season, and lie two points off the pace in the Celtic League in third place with two rounds of matches to go.

"I am delighted to be able to confirm our on-field and off-field appointments," Brown yesterday, both in relation to the appointment of Kidney in succession to former Leinster coach Mike Ruddock (who is taking over the Welsh team from Steve Hansen) and retiring centre Andy Marinos, who will succeed David Jenkins as the Dragons' CEO.

Philip Browne, the IRFU chief executive, was unavailable for comment, but the IRFU press officer, John Redmond, said: "We have had protracted talks with Declan and were keen for him to remain involved but we respect his decision."

As to whether the union would like to see Kidney return one day, he responded: "That process is always open to him."

Redmond also strongly intimated Kidney would not be accompanying the Irish squad to South Africa for their two-Test tour there next month, even though he will still be under contract to the IRFU. "The South African tour is seen as a new cycle going forward so to that end, it is unlikely that he'll be going to South Africa."

Kidney's departure continues a trend which has seen Warren Gatland, Matt Williams and Steph Nel move to Wasps, Scotland and Rotherham respectively, while Alan Solomons will be taking over the reins at Northampton in the summer, and it could well be Willie Anderson will follow suit in becoming Williams' assistant.

For the last two seasons Kidney had been the assistant coach to Eddie O'Sullivan with Ireland, pressure having been brought to bear on both men to form what the union had hoped would be a dream ticket but in truth was always an uncomfortable, arranged marriage between two coaches who had never worked together before.

Prior to the last World Cup, O'Sullivan was granted a new four-year contract as head coach to take him through to the 2007 World Cup in France and was also given more freedom to choose his own back-up staff. It quickly became apparent this did not include Kidney, who was ostensibly the assistant/backs coach but in truth was confined to a more marginalised, player management role.

The IRFU then created the position of performance manager - age grade rugby, a somewhat vague portfolio with little in the way of hands-on coaching until the union sought to tie it in with the Irish Under-21s coaching position which Mark McCall recently vacated to become head coach at Ulster.

The union's press officer yesterday stressed that "the process of recruitment for the performance manager - age grade rugby will now be put in place and the position of coach to the under-21s will be immediately addressed."

As for the role of assistant Ireland coach, Redmond said: "That position no longer exists."

Kidney was always likely to find a hands-on coaching role more enticing than a glorified desk job, but there had been speculation that he might not want to uproot his young family and relocate to Wales. However, Brown has "bent over backwards" according to one insider in affording Kidney the opportunity to commute by air from Cork each week.

Indeed, it is quite conceivable that Kidney's commitments to the Dragons will be no more time consuming than what he has become used to with Munster and especially Ireland in recent years.