Kidney returns to lead Munster

RUGBY: In what is possibly the worst kept secret in Irish rugby, Leinster will begin their search for a fourth coach in four years today when, as anticipated, Munster confirm that Declan Kidney is to return to the province as head coach in place of the departing Alan Gaffney. Gerry Thornley reports

A decision on the remainder of the coaching ticket is not expected to be announced today. Nonetheless, Jim Williams is favourite to become the new assistant/forwards coach, while it is thought that Graham Steadman, the Australian who was brought in as defensive co-ordinator at the start of the season, will now have a more influential role in their offensive backplay as well.

Although there were in excess of 20 applications for the Munster job, which becomes vacant at the beginning of June when Gaffney takes up an offer to become the backs coach with the Wallabies, it is understood that only two people were ultimately interviewed for the position, namely Kidney and the Connacht coach Michael Bradley.

Bradley, a former Munster and Irish captain who has been cutting his teeth impressively in Connacht for the last two seasons, looked like a ready-made successor and would have had plenty of supporters in both Munster and the IRFU. Indeed, he had been the initial money-on favourite to succeed Gaffney before Kidney's candidature emerged.

It is believed that the Munster manager, Jerry Holland, and the chief executive, Garrett Fitzgerald, were in favour of having Kidney at the head of the old Munster Brains Trust. The Provincial Management Committee who sifted through the applications, conducted the interviews and made their decision were Fitzgerald, Holland, Gaffney, Der Healy, Jim Riordan and Bob McConkey.

Last night, Holland merely stated that: "Interviews took place on Tuesday and we would expect that a decision will be ratified by the IRFU before the weekend." He added that the remainder of the coaching ticket will not be announced for the time being.

Kidney coached Munster for five seasons, from 1997-98 to 2001-2. In that time Munster reached two Heineken European Cup finals, in 2000 and 2002, the inaugural Celtic League final of 2001-2 and three successive interpro titles back in the days when they were played over six rounds and really meant something.

Leinster hoped that Kidney would bring such success to them but there was an air of inevitability as far as the Leinster hierarchy was concerned that Kidney would decamp to Munster once he was obliged to formally apply for the vacancy and go through the interview process in Dublin on Tuesday, all the more so when that was mischievously leaked to a Sunday newspaper.

Despite yet another end-of-season upheaval, it was also felt that, having applied for the Munster job, it was perhaps now preferable, even for Leinster, that he was chosen ahead of Bradley.

In any event, leading Leinster officials held what might be called crisis talks yesterday morning prior to their monthly management committee meeting last night in anticipation of Kidney leaving. "Until such time as a decision is made regarding Declan's future, there's not much we can say," commented the Leinster CEO Mick Dawson last night.

Although there was some disquiet over last week's team selection, specifically the omission of Victor Costello and Shane Jennings from the starting line-up, Kidney certainly wasn't pushed out in any way, although he did receive something of a grilling from the Leinster players, especially some of those who have been informed by the departing coach that their contracts are not being renewed.

Aside from discontent within the squad over the release of several players, the treatment of others and certain selections particularly in the build-up to last Saturday's 29-13 defeat to Leicester, the Leinster Branch will be somewhat aggrieved that Kidney will have walked out on a three-year deal after one season.

They, after all, paid compensation to the Gwent Dragons when the Welsh outfit released Kidney just two weeks into a two-year deal with them last summer and Leinster sources indicated last night that they might seek compensation in turn from Munster.

As with the Munster vacancy, Bradley may be encouraged to apply for Leinster, but having been through the Munster interview process and overlooked, may well be inclined to remain in Connacht.

Kevin Putt, the one-time Terenure scrumhalf and coach, may well throw his hat in the ring (as he is believed to have done with Munster) having been released by Natal Sharks.

Ironically, the old Leinster ticket of Matt Williams and Willie Anderson, who guided Leinster to the European Cup semi-finals two seasons ago, could become available pending an end-of-season review by the Scottish RFU in Murrayfield next week. Such a circle of events seems unlikely, but, as there would not appear to be any obvious candidates to succeed Kidney, Leinster may well go abroad for a high profile, charismatic character like Williams.

One of the ironies of these developments is they were prompted by dallying over a new contract for Gaffney, who then took up an offer from the Wallabies last month. Given the choice, Gaffney might well have liked a crack at the head job in Leinster, where he was assistant to Matt Williams for two seasons and where he is still held in high esteem by the playing squad.