O'Shea to take up 'Quins role

Rugby: Conor O'Shea has been appointed the new director of rugby at English Premiership side Harlequins and will fill the vacancy created by Dean Richards' who resigned earlier this year after the "Bloodgate" saga.

O’Shea (39) was the national director at the English Institute of Sport (EIS) and the Rugby Football Union’s (RFU) national academy director before moving to EIS.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at the EIS, and it is a shame that I will be moving on at such an exciting and challenging time for the organisation and for sport in this country,” said the former Ireland fullback.

“But plain and simply, my passion lies with rugby and my desire to influence at the sharp end of the game has never diminished.

“So when approached by Harlequins, a club with an exciting squad, a committed and talented group of coaches and support staff and a stable business model to underpin long-term success, I knew it was a challenge I had to take on,”

O’Shea won 35 caps for Ireland and made more than 120 first team appearances for London Irish before moving into coaching after a knee injury forced his premature retirement. He also held a coaching role with the Exiles.

Ian McGeechan, this year’s British and Irish Lions head coach in South Africa, ex-Scotland boss Frank Hadden and current Quins defence coach Tony Diprose had all been linked with the vacant post but O’Shea slipped under most pundits’ radar, although it is understood he will not start in the new role until March.

Richards’ exit came prior to him receiving a three-year worldwide coaching ban for his role in the ‘Bloodgate’ fake injury scandal that also saw former Quins physiotherapist Steph Brennan and current player Tom Williams banned.

John Kingston, who recently agreed a new contract as head coach, took charge of team affairs following Richards’ departure and will remain a critical part of Quins’ coaching structure.

Quins are facing an early exit from this season’s Heineken Cup, having lost their first three pool games, but their English Premiership form is better and they currently lie five points off a top-four place.

The club additionally landed a €300,000 imposed by European Rugby Cup Limited, although they avoided expulsion from this season’s Heineken Cup, a punishment many people had thought likely.