While his attention may be focused on a certain final this weekend, Declan Kidney's future backroom team started to take shape today with the appointment of Paul McNaughton as the national team manager.

McNaughton, who worked with Kidney during the latter's one-year stint as Leinster coach, will join the new Irish ticket after Saturday's Heineken Cup final.

The former Irish international centre has signed a deal with the IRFU that will see him work alongside Kidney until after the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand.

Neither man will be involved in an official capacity for the upcoming match against the Barbarians and subsequent tour of Australia and New Zealand.

"I am looking forward to working with Declan and the rest of the players over the coming months and beyond," McNaughton said today. 
 
"Declan's focus will remain totally on the Munster team for the next number of weeks and following this we will be setting about putting in place the structures around the team ahead of the autumn internationals, which gives us  a certain amount of latitude to do that."

South African forward's specialist Gert Smal is expected to join the coaching ticket in the coming weeks while Munster's Australian-born defensive/backs coach, Tony McGahan, could also be added.