Rumour Mill

[blockhead]

Lots of rumours

Rúaidhrí O'Connor April 10 2018 2:30 AM
Former Northampton Saints boss Jim Mallinder is in the frame for the vacant head coach's post at Ulster.

The province are on the lookout for a replacement for Les Kiss who left in February and Jono Gibbes who exits in May.

New Zealander Glenn Moore has also been linked with the job, while former England coach Andy Robinson and Wales defence coach Shaun Edwards are also thought to be in the running, with interviews taking place this week.

Mallinder, who led Saints to the Premiership in 2014, was reported to be close to accepting the head coach's job at Cardiff Blues but withdrew from the race.

Former Ulster coach Allen Clarke could be offered the Ospreys job on a full-time basis after overseeing a change in fortunes since taking temporary charge in January.

[Fireworks]

Lots of rumours

Rúaidhrí O'Connor April 10 2018 2:30 AM
Former Northampton Saints boss Jim Mallinder is in the frame for the vacant head coach's post at Ulster.

The province are on the lookout for a replacement for Les Kiss who left in February and Jono Gibbes who exits in May.

New Zealander Glenn Moore has also been linked with the job, while former England coach Andy Robinson and Wales defence coach Shaun Edwards are also thought to be in the running, with interviews taking place this week.

Mallinder, who led Saints to the Premiership in 2014, was reported to be close to accepting the head coach's job at Cardiff Blues but withdrew from the race.

Former Ulster coach Allen Clarke could be offered the Ospreys job on a full-time basis after overseeing a change in fortunes since taking temporary charge in January.

Lots of names being talked about. I still think Eddie would be a good fit in some capacity.

[mildlyinterested]

Lots of rumours

Rúaidhrí O'Connor April 10 2018 2:30 AM
Former Northampton Saints boss Jim Mallinder is in the frame for the vacant head coach's post at Ulster.

The province are on the lookout for a replacement for Les Kiss who left in February and Jono Gibbes who exits in May.

New Zealander Glenn Moore has also been linked with the job, while former England coach Andy Robinson and Wales defence coach Shaun Edwards are also thought to be in the running, with interviews taking place this week.

Mallinder, who led Saints to the Premiership in 2014, was reported to be close to accepting the head coach's job at Cardiff Blues but withdrew from the race.

Former Ulster coach Allen Clarke could be offered the Ospreys job on a full-time basis after overseeing a change in fortunes since taking temporary charge in January.

Lots of names being talked about. I still think Eddie would be a good fit in some capacity.

Would you want Eddie here?

[curates_egg]

You can't unring a bell.

[neiliog93]

Eddie would never be accepted at any of the provinces (possible exception of Munster). Especially in Ulster, he is strongly disliked. His stint on BBC NI has probably helped to rehabilitate his reputation up there a bit but there's still no love lost.

Appointing Andy Robinson as coach would be an absolute disaster for Ulster. His coaching methods have been consistently exposed at high level rugby. I wouldn't particularly want Mallinder either.

[Peg Leg]

Eddie would never be accepted at any of the provinces (possible exception of Munster). Especially in Ulster, he is strongly disliked. His stint on BBC NI has probably helped to rehabilitate his reputation up there a bit but there's still no love lost.

Appointing Andy Robinson as coach would be an absolute disaster for Ulster. His coaching methods have been consistently exposed at high level rugby. I wouldn't particularly want Mallinder either.

None of the above have showed a willingness to do anything BUT flog their best 15

[mildlyinterested]

Eddie would never be accepted at any of the provinces (possible exception of Munster). Especially in Ulster, he is strongly disliked. His stint on BBC NI has probably helped to rehabilitate his reputation up there a bit but there's still no love lost.

Appointing Andy Robinson as coach would be an absolute disaster for Ulster. His coaching methods have been consistently exposed at high level rugby. I wouldn't particularly want Mallinder either.

None of the above have showed a willingness to do anything BUT flog their best 15

Yup need someone who will embrace system, rotation and player development.

[olaf the fat]

Eddie would never be accepted at any of the provinces (possible exception of Munster). Especially in Ulster, he is strongly disliked. His stint on BBC NI has probably helped to rehabilitate his reputation up there a bit but there's still no love lost.

Appointing Andy Robinson as coach would be an absolute disaster for Ulster. His coaching methods have been consistently exposed at high level rugby. I wouldn't particularly want Mallinder either.

None of the above have showed a willingness to do anything BUT flog their best 15

Might still work though, they just wont be allowed flog the best 15 the way they did in the AP. Then again, player welfare stuff would scare them off

[Fireworks]

If there was a backs or attacking coach slot open in Leinster I would not have an issue with EOS being on the short list. I would not like to see him considered as a head coach for us but Ulster are not in as strong a position as they have a weak squad that is getting weaker. A quality in demand coach is not likely to pick them so you are left with the picking a young nobody and hope you unearth a gem or trying to find the best or the damaged goods.

[mildlyinterested]

If there was a backs or attacking coach slot open in Leinster I would not have an issue with EOS being on the short list. I would not like to see him considered as a head coach for us but Ulster are not in as strong a position as they have a weak squad that is getting weaker. A quality in demand coach is not likely to pick them so you are left with the picking a young nobody and hope you unearth a gem or trying to find the best or the damaged goods.

I think i'd get sick if Eddie was backs/attack coach at leinster. But to each their own.

[neiliog93]

No, sorry, no. Eddie was largely very good for Ireland in the mid-'00s but his subsequent stints at the USA, Biarritz and even Shannon have shown that the game has passed him by. I bear him no ill will and he did a lot for Irish rugby, but he is nearly 60 and has an at times difficult personality. Don't want to see him anywhere near Leinster.

[Oldschool]

If there was a backs or attacking coach slot open in Leinster I would not have an issue with EOS being on the short list. I would not like to see him considered as a head coach for us but Ulster are not in as strong a position as they have a weak squad that is getting weaker. A quality in demand coach is not likely to pick them so you are left with the picking a young nobody and hope you unearth a gem or trying to find the best or the damaged goods.

I think i'd get sick if Eddie was backs/attack coach at leinster. But to each their own.

+1 Sick doesn't even describe it..

[RoboProp]

If there was a backs or attacking coach slot open in Leinster I would not have an issue with EOS being on the short list. I would not like to see him considered as a head coach for us but Ulster are not in as strong a position as they have a weak squad that is getting weaker. A quality in demand coach is not likely to pick them so you are left with the picking a young nobody and hope you unearth a gem or trying to find the best or the damaged goods.

I think i'd get sick if Eddie was backs/attack coach at leinster. But to each their own.

+1 Sick doesn't even describe it..

He's toxic, wouldn't want him within an ass's roar of us

[Raydollard]

And some asses can roar.

[Flash Gordon]

If there was a backs or attacking coach slot open in Leinster I would not have an issue with EOS being on the short list. I would not like to see him considered as a head coach for us but Ulster are not in as strong a position as they have a weak squad that is getting weaker. A quality in demand coach is not likely to pick them so you are left with the picking a young nobody and hope you unearth a gem or trying to find the best or the damaged goods.

I think i'd get sick if Eddie was backs/attack coach at leinster. But to each their own.

Eddie was a super backs coach for Ireland and literally transformed the way we played. However, if you've read his book, the guy is a paranoid control freak who clearly has trouble working with people. The fact he wrote some of the stuff, re-read it and still decided to publish it despite it coming across as wild paranoia says a lot about the man. This was one of the reasons he underachieved so badly with Ireland.

Strong interpersonal skills will be critical in this role as they need culture change. Similarly, I've felt over the last few years that Ulster have been really easy to play against despite having fairly significant attacking options as players because their attack is entirely predictable and ponderous. Eddie's not a head coach in my opinion but could he do an attack coaching role?

Either way, there's no way one man can do the job, it requires a team of exceptional people to transform them culturally and technically.

[Dave Cahill]

Ulster don't need someone with strong interpersonal skills. They need an absolute c**t.

[rooster]

Ulster don't need someone with strong interpersonal skills. They need an absolute c**t.

With you on that Dave and nearest one in the press suggestions is Edwards but I would need convincing about even him

[Peg Leg]

Eddie jones or WarrenG would be perfect.

[neiliog93]

The worrying thing for Ulster is that Gibbes is a relatively 'my way or the highway' type of guy. That sort of approach works if there are only 3-4 difficult personalities who are either reformed or dumped by said bad cop coach, but if the majority of the squad turn on a tough coach the situation escalates badly. It's more of an issue in football, but 'player power' in the professional era is a real thing. It's much harder to be a tough coach now than before. See Roy Keane, Sam Allardyce or Mick McCarthy in football, or Mike Ruddock or even Kieran Keane in rugby.

The radical approach would be to accept a couple of very poor seasons and gut the squad of any and all personalities that are destructive to the 'culture' (in Ulster's case it seems to be more than 3-4 guys), make the standards expected very clear from sub-academy level and upwards, and along with some NIQ recruitment rebuild the whole thing. After 3-4 years, you might have a very good team.

[Logorrhea]

WarrenG

Regulators!