Filling the Munster/Ireland vacancies

HOW THE rest of the Irish back-up team pans out is unclear, with the most immediate implications for Munster, reports Gerry Thornley. The Heineken Cup finalists are something of a law unto themselves, witness the surprise appointment of Alan Gaffney in 2002 and enticing Declan Kidney back from Leinster in 2005.

Already resigned to losing forwards coach Jim Williams, to ensure a degree of continuity Munster may be of a mind to offer current backs/defensive coach Tony McGahan the new head coaching vacancy.

However, the Australian would also be another obvious target for Kidney, the pair having worked together with noted success for the last two-and-a-half seasons. He is also highly regarded by the Munster players.

Niall O'Donovan is in the mix for both Munster vacancies, with Michael Bradley another contender, while Munster could also seek to go abroad and sound out the likes of Jake White or John Mitchell, with the names of Eddie O'Sullivan and Rod Macqueen looking less likely propositions.

Leinster sources remain confident that Alan Gaffney is committed to working with them next season on a consultancy basis, and that if Kidney approached Gaffney about co-opting him on to the Irish ticket there would be some way of accommodating the two.

Gert Small, the Springboks' forwards coach in their victorious World Cup, has been identified by the IRFU to fulfil a similar brief with Ireland, but the position is less clearcut with McGahan.

The ripple effects of Kidney's appointment and Michael Bradley's likely promotion this summer extend to finding a new Ireland A coaching team for the Churchill Cup, with Mick Galwey and Anthony Foley also in the Munster/Shannon mix.

The process continues.