IRISH SCHOOLS coach Keith Patton will take over as coach of Dungannon next season. Dave Haslett, the club's coach this sea also coaches the Ireland A side and is assistant to Irish senior coach Brian Ashton. Haslett will accompany the Irish Development squad on their tour to New Zealand and Western Samoa next month.
Although Haslett will still be involved with Dungannon, the club envisages that he will be away for long spells because of his coaching role with Ireland. As a result, the Ulster club will officially appoint Patton in the next few days. Patton was in charge of the victorious Irish schools side which had an unbeaten tour of Australia last summer.
Haslett travels with the Development squad in place of Blackrock and former All Black Mike Brewer, who had been assisting Brian Ashton throughout the Five Nations Championship. Brewer has left Blackrock for English Courage League Division Two side West Hartlepool.
Patton's appointment to the All-Ireland League Division One club, however, suggests that Haslett's commitment to the Irish set up will be for a longer period than just the summer tour. As Brewer said before he departed. "There is no reason for bringing him into the set up if they have no further plans for him in the long term."
Haslett, however, said yesterday that nothing has yet been decided about his future beyond the Development Tour. "My representative commitments with the Ireland A side as well as coaching Dungannon has become an onerous responsibility and Keith is coming to help with a view to taking over. There is no other reason nothing beyond the Development Tour has been decided.
Haslett has been coaching Ireland A for two years now, while Patton has been in charge of the schools team for two years also. He hopes to continue with the schools team for another year. The length of his contract with Dungannon has yet to be decided.
. Ireland captain Keith Wood was helped off the field in the 38th minute with what seemed a serious injury to his right knee in last night's Courage League One match between Harlequins and Northampton at the Stoop. But medical opinion later suggested that Wood could be fit by Saturday for Harlequins' game against Wasps. In another League match last night, London Irish were beaten 45-0 by Saracens.
. Lansdowne have appointed Irish centre Kurt McQuilkin as next year's club captain.
. The IRFU yesterday announced details of the second All-Ireland Under-20 Club Championship. The four Provincial winners Galway Corinthians (Connacht), Blackrock (Leinster), Garyowen (Munster) and Malone (Ulster) will compete in a knockout competition this weekend at Clontarf in Dublin.
. A total of £3.5 million in prize and participation money has been offered to the eight clubs competing in next season's Premier League by the Welsh Rugby Union.
