Do not Joe gentle into that good night

[simonokeeffe]

Joe is deciding on & informing IRFU of his plans (post 2017) after the SA tour according to 42 and Indo today

He wont take Lions job unless he stays for 2019 (gentlemens agreement); backroom contracted to 2019

If he takes Lions they say existing assistant coach will coach 2017 6n, they say Farrell, I say Easterby

Going by interviews with Joe and family matters mentioned in other articles my guess is he does go 2017. Lucifora (Indo) implies theyll promote from coaches in Ireland already if he does

Farrell: cant see it
Easterby: not sure, would still need a backs coach
Kiss: just started at Ulster and then Ireland would have 2 defence coaches
Erasmus: has the CV but yet to start
Lam: would need provinces playing compatible styles, dont think thats a huge issue, my quibble would be 6n would need a modified style than Connacht

[Oldschool]

Joe is deciding on & informing IRFU of his plans (post 2017) after the SA tour according to 42 and Indo today

He wont take Lions job unless he stays for 2019 (gentlemens agreement); backroom contracted to 2019

If he takes Lions they say existing assistant coach will coach 2017 6n, they say Farrell, I say Easterby

Going by interviews with Joe and family matters mentioned in other articles my guess is he does go 2017. Lucifora (Indo) implies theyll promote from coaches in Ireland already if he does

Farrell: cant see it
Easterby: not sure, would still need a backs coach
Kiss: just started at Ulster and then Ireland would have 2 defence coaches
Erasmus: has the CV but yet to start
Lam: would need provinces playing compatible styles, dont think thats a huge issue, my quibble would be 6n would need a modified style than Connacht

Yeah ducifora name dropped a short list, Leo wasn't on it which is fair enough.

[leinsterforever]

Dave Rennie, anyone?

[simonokeeffe]

Dave Rennie, anyone?

would be great but big chance he could go into All Blacks set up

Steve Hansen we know is available

I still think Ireland job is very attractive, now backroom team being largely locked in is not great/helpful but money, access to players, power over provincial coaches, SH nature of provincial DORs are all big plus points

[Ruckedtobits]

Dave Rennie, anyone?

+1.

Yes please if Joe doesn't stay beyond 2017.

And while you're at it could you whistle up Robbie Deans to come over from Japan to become Dir of Rugby in Leinster.

Ah shucks, I forgot that Lucifora must approve all such appointments. Maybe, the story that that's what really happened, when there was a delay in confirming Leo as top cat last June, was true after all!

[leinsterforever]

Dave Rennie, anyone?

+1.

Yes please if Joe doesn't stay beyond 2017.

And while you're at it could you whistle up Robbie Deans to come over from Japan to become Dir of Rugby in Leinster.

Ah shucks, I forgot that Lucifora must approve all such appointments. Maybe, the story that that's what really happened, when there was a delay in confirming Leo as top cat last June, was true after all!

What, that Leinster were getting Deans but Nucifora didn't want him here?

[neiliog93]

Not sure if Hansen would come up North again. I'd love Dave Rennie. Would probably be Pat Lam, which is fair enough really. With Tony Brown contracted to the Highlanders for 2017 Super Rugby season it's likely Joe won't coach there till 2018, so likely leaving us at the end of the 2016-17 as his contract is also up then. Terrible to see Joe go, but I wouldn't mind seeing Lam lead us to the 2019 RWC.

[simonokeeffe]

As it stands, I think Rennie would be best, but how Connacht do in Europe will influence things

[Oldschool]

The Lions, with Joe at the helm, will win the series in NZ.
This will guarantee Joe the ABs job when Hansen retires.
In addition Joe win lead Ireland to the 2019 RWC and prevent the ABs from doing the hat-trick.

[Ruckedtobits]

Rumours very strong in NZ that Henson will be offered two year renewal in 2017, after Lions Tour, regardless of result. That's the underlying reason that a number of younger Coaches are now looking to fill their Pension Pot in Japan or Europe. That's why there is a possibility that Rennie might take a job in Ireland. Reputation of Premiership owners in England is not good and Kiwi's would prefer to deal with a Union, although Penney's experience almost put paid to that.

Two years (successful ones) in Leinster from July 2017 would look very good on Dave Rennies CV after RWC 2019 in Japan. We should at least make the offer now, with a big price tag. Its worth it.

[leinsterforever]

Rumours very strong in NZ that Henson will be offered two year renewal in 2017, after Lions Tour, regardless of result. That's the underlying reason that a number of younger Coaches are now looking to fill their Pension Pot in Japan or Europe. That's why there is a possibility that Rennie might take a job in Ireland. Reputation of Premiership owners in England is not good and Kiwi's would prefer to deal with a Union, although Penney's experience almost put paid to that.

Two years (successful ones) in Leinster from July 2017 would look very good on Dave Rennies CV after RWC 2019 in Japan. We should at least make the offer now, with a big price tag. Its worth it.

Agree completely. If Leinster really want to invest in quality coaches they should do everything they can to get Rennie and Dal Maso. The ideal scenario would be Joe staying with Ireland and Leinster getting Rennie

[simonokeeffe]

Going by Thornleys quotes and article today Joe is definitely going home 2017

[Logorrhea]

Well Joe himself has said its not his choice, then points to his family circumstances.

[Ruckedtobits]

Joe's departure in 2017 would be walking away from a challenge which he believes he could undertake, e.g. winning the Brennus for Clermont, retaining the European Cup with Leinster, winning back to back 6N Championships for Ireland.

Joe knows that Irish rugby can progress more than any other international team in the next 24 - 36 months through to Japan in 2019. Taking a role with Hurricanes, Highlanders, Chiefs will however give him an opportunity to actually coach individual players to get better, which is what he loves most. It would, however, be lousy preparation for reverting to coaching a National Team, even NZ.

Joe should stay with Ireland, his son Luke would continue to get great medical care. His kids can mature as cosmopolitan Europeans and he and Martin O'Neill, in company with Jim Gavin, can discuss the intellectual challenge of transforming opportunity into execution.

Irish national teams have no shortafe of bravery and genuine application. If we could learn to educate our players, in all codes, to execute effectively under pressure, Ireland could emerge more often as better than great competitors.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

The idea of Joe's Ireland going up against Eddie's England while both of them try and beat the big boys from the SH/prepare for the world cup is fascinating. It does sound like Joe is leaving unfortunately but we could have a brilliant few years ahead if things go to plan.

[simonokeeffe]

Papers keep saying his son has been going to Australia for treatment so thats the crux of the matter

[Ruckedtobits]

So, Steve Hansen makes a "come and get me" statement for the NZ Union, a week after Joe lands in NZ. He goes on to suggest that Gatland should get the Lions gig "Gatland should get the the Lions role, he's the frontrunner, he's taken them away before and been successful....". He also commented on how well Eddie J has done with England and that its good to see them back in the frame.

He studiously didn't mention Joe S or Vern C.

Jamie Joseph and Tony Brown have announced they are taking up jobs in Japan. Chris Boyd is said to be under pressure in his job in Hurricanes whilst former colleague Dave Rennie continues to rip up the trees with Waikato. John Plumtree and Joe Schmidt are mentioned in the frame for every job that comes up. NZ coaching roles are like European Commissioner roles. Get the right one and you're set for life in that country. Pick the wrong one and its curtains for progress.

Hansen now clearly wants to take NZ to Japan in 2019. It was always considered he would review the new crop of successors carefully, before he made any public comment. This statement suggests that he sees enough to convince him that a third successive World Cup win is doable and he's not about to give that away. Any active role from where he is now would take him to France or Japan or England. The reference to family in his latest statement suggests that travel isn't on his agenda any time soon.

Commercial and. Marketing Committee of IRFU should be beating a path to door of Philip Brown to make an offer to Joe right up to 2020, whatever it takes to keep him -even with a get-out clause to do the Lions.

We need Joe at the top. Nobody else comes close, not even Pat Lam

[simonokeeffe]

Highlanders publicly saying they want Joe too

[Fan with smartphone]

Chiefs too now fluttering the old eye lashes.
Mccaw made a statement a few months ago that it'd be great to have a man like joe back involved at some level in NZ. It didn't sound like he was throwing the statement out for no reason. Seems like they want him to serve time with a super rugby side and the succeed Hansen 2019. Lions wouldn't keep joe here (because of the family situation not to mention that tour is a reputation destroyer anyway).

Coaching the chiefs or highlanders would be a tough gig. It's hard to look at them and think: there's something I can improve straight away. They are absolutely brilliant sides and I just get the feeling that they are not jobs I'd love to get right now. That said, joe took on leinster near the top of the tree and made them better. So he ain't afraid of that either.

I'd love to see him stay and I think his candidacy for the NZ job wouldn't be harmed by staying with Ireland until post World Cup. He is gonna do well with us this next few years, whereas the risk of things not going absolutely brilliantly at the chiefs or highlanders would harm him. I think he would personally like to stay himself. Highly regarded here (to put it mildly), has a good young team to work with, has allies all around (Nucifora, lam, kiss, leinster generally and foley too I'd say), is an Irish citizen, wants to put rwc 2015 right. But if family matters are involved then he has no choice to make really.

It's time to draw up the short list in case of the worst then. Rennie and Lam. Don't think it extends beyond that. If Rennie came here and did well, I wouldn't put it past him getting NZ job offer in 2019 either. Joe will need to negotiate well if he does choose to leave here.

[bonzo]

Chiefs too now fluttering the old eye lashes.
Mccaw made a statement a few months ago that it'd be great to have a man like joe back involved at some level in NZ. It didn't sound like he was throwing the statement out for no reason. Seems like they want him to serve time with a super rugby side and the succeed Hansen 2019. Lions wouldn't keep joe here (because of the family situation not to mention that tour is a reputation destroyer anyway).

Coaching the chiefs or highlanders would be a tough gig. It's hard to look at them and think: there's something I can improve straight away. They are absolutely brilliant sides and I just get the feeling that they are not jobs I'd love to get right now. That said, joe took on leinster near the top of the tree and made them better. So he ain't afraid of that either.

I'd love to see him stay and I think his candidacy for the NZ job wouldn't be harmed by staying with Ireland until post World Cup. He is gonna do well with us this next few years, whereas the risk of things not going absolutely brilliantly at the chiefs or highlanders would harm him. I think he would personally like to stay himself. Highly regarded here (to put it mildly), has a good young team to work with, has allies all around (Nucifora, lam, kiss, leinster generally and foley too I'd say), is an Irish citizen, wants to put rwc 2015 right. But if family matters are involved then he has no choice to make really.

It's time to draw up the short list in case of the worst then. Rennie and Lam. Don't think it extends beyond that. If Rennie came here and did well, I wouldn't put it past him getting NZ job offer in 2019 either. Joe will need to negotiate well if he does choose to leave here.

Great post.

Schmidt going to Chiefs in particular would feel a bit like Guardiola going to Bayern.

Mind you, I'm sure he'd relish devising winning strategies in that unbelievably competitive NZ environment...