Welcome Home, Felipe!

[LeRouxIsPHat]

I'll be delighted when / if confirmed.

Confirmed now...the earth isn't flat.

[Oldschool]

I'll be delighted when / if confirmed.

Confirmed now...the earth isn't flat.

Sure we all know that.
For the uninitiated- Once upon a time is the preamble to most fairytales.
I presume that ye all know what a fairytale is.
Snow White is my favourite

[Oldschool]

There is a common thread to recent and relatively recent coaching appointments on this isle.
Irish teams have been picking up a lot of rejectees from other countries.
Farrell from England.
Lancaster from England.
Van what'sit from SA.
Contepomi from Argentina.
So far it has to be said that the rejectors have shown exceptionally poor judgement and that conversely the rejectees(absolutely no insult intended) have shown excellent judgement in throwing in their lot with the Irish.
Gold in it's purest form for both parties.

[cormac]

I'll be delighted when / if confirmed.

Confirmed now...the earth isn't flat.

Where has it been confirmed?

[Dave Cahill]

I'll be delighted when / if confirmed.

Confirmed now...the earth isn't flat.

Where has it been confirmed?

Seville, 1522.

[Twist]

I've faith in Cullen (and Lancaster to whatever degree) to make the right appointment but I'm not as euphoric as the rest of yis. This feels like a huge personality being introduced, a very different one to Girvan Dempsey. It's a big change to a winning formula. I fear such changes!


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[Ruckedtobits]

Share the general approval of this appointment and certainly trust Leo's judgement in such matters.

However........can't find any details, or stats, about Felipe's coaching career or experience with Pumas or Jagueres. The latter are having a great Season in Super Rugby and in recent weeks have beaten Chiefs, Sharks, Bulls, Lions and Brumbies, but no mention of Felipe on current or last Season's Coaching ticket which list Mario Ledesmo as Head Coach.

The Pumas Head Coach is still listed as Daniel Hourcade, although he announced his resignation after the second test defeat by Wales. He had been Head Coach since 2013 and had almost 60 Tests under his belt.

Felipe was announced by the UAR as Head Coach of Argentina XV, with Ignacio Fernandez Lobbe as Asst Coach in January 2017, but Hourcade was named as the National Head Coach in the same Press Release. Confused? So am I.

Directions to any relevant treasure trove of information gratefully received.

[WarPoodle]

Am I the only person who has misgivings about this appointment? I'm not talking about whether he was a world class 10 or 12. But the Leinster he left was a different beast to the one he's coming back to. Will be fit in? He was always temperamental.. how well will that type of personality mesh with Leo / Lancaster?

[Dave Cahill]

Felipe is head coach of "Argentina XV", the new name for the Argentinian 'next national' or A side that used to be called the Jaguares before that name was repurposed for the Super Rugby team. They played Ireland A in Tallaght a couple of years ago

[curates_egg]

Am I the only person who has misgivings about this appointment? I'm not talking about whether he was a world class 10 or 12. But the Leinster he left was a different beast to the one he's coming back to. Will be fit in? He was always temperamental.. how well will that type of personality mesh with Leo / Lancaster?

I totally understand that point of view but, perhaps even more important, it is his relationship with Sexton, which will be a real make or break. You'd imagine he played a central part in the appointment, so I would hope he also gave it full consideration.
All told, that's three smart people involved in the appointment.

[hugonaut]

I've faith in Cullen (and Lancaster to whatever degree) to make the right appointment but I'm not as euphoric as the rest of yis. This feels like a huge personality being introduced, a very different one to Girvan Dempsey. It's a big change to a winning formula. I fear such changes!


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Well, I think we have to replace Girvan in the first instance. He's off to Bath and I think it could be a really good move in terms of him striking out and making a name for himself outside of the Leinster heartland.

I also think that Girv left because he had reached the limits of his job, and there was no real route for him to progress further. I feel with Lancaster's input into both attack and defense being so all-encompassing and getting so much public praise from the senior players, it's hard to see where a standard 'backs' coach fits in without getting his toes trodden on.

Personally speaking, I thought that there would be some sort of skills/attack coach position set aside for Isa in which he would work and learn under Lancaster in the broader scheme of establishing the attacking patterns, and then work on his own with the players [particularly the backs] in smaller groups on specific skillsets – i.e. competing for the ball in the air, defending in the back three, how to construct a counter-attack with most of your team in front of you – and the mental element that he looked after in Auckland after his first retirement.

So I guess I see Contepomi doing the job that I thought Isa would have had. It's a huge chance for him to learn under Lancaster, who looks like one of the best coaches in the world, but I also think that he'll bring a lot to the party in terms of his experience, his mentality and his charisma.

[ronk]

We dont have good visability of what he was doing, but im sure Cullen et al. checked.

An experienced coach was out of the question. This makes a lot of sense.

[ronk]

The job was there for Isa if he had wanted it. He's off.

[leinsterforever]

I'd say he'll be constructing some backs moves ad working closely with the outhalves and centres in the squad

[Blueberry]

Am I the only person who has misgivings about this appointment? I'm not talking about whether he was a world class 10 or 12. But the Leinster he left was a different beast to the one he's coming back to. Will be fit in? He was always temperamental.. how well will that type of personality mesh with Leo / Lancaster?

I totally understand that point of view but, perhaps even more important, it is his relationship with Sexton, which will be a real make or break. You'd imagine he played a central part in the appointment, so I would hope he also gave it full consideration.
All told, that's three smart people involved in the appointment.

I can't see any scenario where J10 wasn't involved in this decision, Leo and Lancaster I am sure had him in the loop and I am sure J10 and Dr Phil were on the blower together to talk it through. J10 already involved in the Lancaster recruitment. Leo appears to have the perfect temperament to manage a talented team of coaches and players with strong personalities and happy to 'oversee and guide' rather than over manage. Of course this may not work out but I would be surprised and we know Dr Phil's heart is in the right place, seems to be an absolute gent too.....

[MelbourneRebel]

I welcome his return but Contepomi wasn't a world class 10, I'm sure that Ross Byrne will be happy to work with a Leinster legend but it's not like he'll be learning from Dan Carter.

As for the Carbery stuff, is this just Munster bashing? He signed to play in the XV regularly and hopefully at 10 and I am sure he will feature as a first choice team member in the big games and play regularly at 10. I would seriously doubt that "Byrne will be miles ahead of him by the world cup" as Carbery is a level above Byrne, is younger, and unlike Byrne will be playing in the biggest games in 2018/19 for his team.

Weird opinion. I saw Contepomi play live scores of times and probably over a hundred times in total. I've no hesitation in saying that he was a world class 10 ... he was a world class 12 too, just an amazing midfield player. He started 31 tests at outhalf and played both No10 and No12 throughout his career - his first cap at outhalf came in 2000 and his last in 2013. He's in the World Rugby Hall of Fame, was an International Player of the Year Nominee, played in four RWCs, played for the Pumas for 15 years, is their most capped player ever, their highest points scorer and captained his country. And he scored 31 points against France in a single game in 2010 and 416 points for Leinster in the 2005-06 season. It's very f*cking safe to say he was world class.

From the time people started interviewing Sexton, he has been effusive in his praise of Contepomi – how much he learned from him, how generous he was with his time, how encouraging he was etc. He has long credited him as having a big role in his development as a player.

Contepomi has been involved as a backline coach with both the Jaguares and the Pumas over the last three years – he's not coming in from scratch or solely on the back of his reputation as a player. He'll fit into his role under Leo and Stuart Lancaster, just as Girvan did, and I'm sure he'll learn a lot from Lancaster too. He's massively charismatic and the sort of person that players respond to, in much the same way as Andy Farrell has been for Ireland and the Lions. I think it's a great appointment.

I don't see how not believing a player is "World Class" is a "weird opinion". Seems unnecessary

[MelbourneRebel]

As for the Carbery stuff, is this just Munster bashing? He signed to play in the XV regularly and hopefully at 10

Eh no. He was already playing in Leinster's 15 regularly. He signed for Munster to play 10. The was all made very clear.

Carbery wasn't in the first choice Leinster XV last season and wouldn't have been next year either. He will be at Munster and should play at 10 more often too. That's why he left, even if we don't want to admit it.

[curates_egg]

I welcome his return but Contepomi wasn't a world class 10, I'm sure that Ross Byrne will be happy to work with a Leinster legend but it's not like he'll be learning from Dan Carter.

As for the Carbery stuff, is this just Munster bashing? He signed to play in the XV regularly and hopefully at 10 and I am sure he will feature as a first choice team member in the big games and play regularly at 10. I would seriously doubt that "Byrne will be miles ahead of him by the world cup" as Carbery is a level above Byrne, is younger, and unlike Byrne will be playing in the biggest games in 2018/19 for his team.

Weird opinion. I saw Contepomi play live scores of times and probably over a hundred times in total. I've no hesitation in saying that he was a world class 10 ... he was a world class 12 too, just an amazing midfield player. He started 31 tests at outhalf and played both No10 and No12 throughout his career - his first cap at outhalf came in 2000 and his last in 2013. He's in the World Rugby Hall of Fame, was an International Player of the Year Nominee, played in four RWCs, played for the Pumas for 15 years, is their most capped player ever, their highest points scorer and captained his country. And he scored 31 points against France in a single game in 2010 and 416 points for Leinster in the 2005-06 season. It's very f*cking safe to say he was world class.

From the time people started interviewing Sexton, he has been effusive in his praise of Contepomi – how much he learned from him, how generous he was with his time, how encouraging he was etc. He has long credited him as having a big role in his development as a player.

Contepomi has been involved as a backline coach with both the Jaguares and the Pumas over the last three years – he's not coming in from scratch or solely on the back of his reputation as a player. He'll fit into his role under Leo and Stuart Lancaster, just as Girvan did, and I'm sure he'll learn a lot from Lancaster too. He's massively charismatic and the sort of person that players respond to, in much the same way as Andy Farrell has been for Ireland and the Lions. I think it's a great appointment.

I don't see how not believing a player is "World Class" is a "weird opinion". Seems unnecessary

'World Class' is a term that is bandied about too much and whose meaning appears to be subjective...but he is one of only three players to have been inducted to the World Rugby 'Wall of Fame' for some reason(s): https://www.worldrugby.org/halloffame/worldmap/40.

That said, I just found this guy on there: https://www.worldrugby.org/halloffame/inductees/59188.

[curates_egg]

It's official: https://www.leinsterrugby.ie/felipe-con ... cks-coach/
"Subject to work permit"...let's hope nobody forgets to register him

[FLIP]

Very glad to see him back. Although I'm not too sure he'll be happy to be back nearing the terrace after the gentle ribbing he got at the Amlin final a few years back!