WHEN DECLAN Kidney informed the Munster squad at their meeting before yesterday morning's training session that he would be the new Irish head coach, his announcement was greeted with a huge round of applause. On what must have been an emotional day for the 48-year-old on reaching the pinnacle of his career, that would have privately pleased him no end.
His coronation came with a lack of fanfare both typical of the man and his publicity-wary employers - albeit in marked contrast to the press conference which announced Eddie O'Sullivan's premature and ultimately costly four-year extension last August. So it was that confirmation of Kidney's appointment as Irish coach comprised a brief statement with a few generic quotes thrown in.
Whereas O'Sullivan was contracted to the conclusion of the 2004, 2008 and latterly the 2012 Six Nations, Kidney's contract "will see him lead Ireland up to and including Rugby World Cup 2011 in New Zealand". This merely shows how comparatively subservient the union were in their dealings with O'Sullivan. The less than smooth transition, with something of a lost opportunity in the Six Nations and now an interim coach, all emanate from last August's deeply flawed decision.
As a result of Munster's involvement in the Heineken Cup final on May 24th, along with the need to assemble his back-up staff, a caretaker coach will take charge of the Ireland-Barbarians game in Gloucester three days later and the two-Test tour to New Zealand and Australia; almost certainly Michael Bradley. As expected, Kidney will not take part "in the selection and preparation of that squad". Nor, most likely, will he even travel in a watching brief.
In all of this, as in the delay with Kidney putting pen to paper, the 48-year-old was, and remains, at pains to stay fully focused on the job in hand with Munster. That, coupled with his own inclination to iron out the finer detail of his back-up staff and the IRFU's unwieldy committee process, rather than any one vexed issue, may explain the delay.
Kidney, meanwhile, was quoted as saying: "There is no greater honour for any coach than to lead his own country. I have had that privilege at several levels of the game in Ireland from schools and under-19s as well as working with the senior Ireland team and I am delighted to have this opportunity and to be here at what is the pinnacle of my career.
"I have worked with many exceptional players during my career at both international and provincial level and there is no doubt that we have the talent in Ireland to be successful at the highest level. The challenge going forward for the Ireland team and Irish rugby as a whole is to continue the growth and success on the field. I am excited about the challenge and looking forward to working with the players. My focus now for the next three weeks will be totally on the Munster team and the preparation for the Heineken European Cup final. "
IRFU chief executive Philip Browne said: "The record of Declan Kidney speaks for itself and it was obvious from the very beginning of this process that he was one of the main contenders to lead Ireland to the next Rugby World Cup in 2011. His ability to achieve success and develop players in the ever-increasing competitive arena of professional rugby is proven and the IRFU is delighted to have made this appointment."
After a seven-week hiatus since O'Sullivan's resignation, in which all communications from the IRFU were decidedly minimal, Browne added: "While the need to make the appointment as soon as was practicable was important, the IRFU was conscious of keeping any disruption to the preparations of the Munster team to a minimum."
Kidney brings a wealth of experience and success to the role, but he will need to bring it to bear fairly swiftly. Indeed, what happens in the summer tour and next autumn will go some way toward determining his ultimate challenge, and his legacy, at the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand. The RWC organisers have determined that IRB world rankings will be used to seed teams for the 2011 pool draw, which will take place in December.
Ireland are currently ranked eighth, just placing them in the second tier of seeds, though with Fiji (ninth) and Scotland (10th) in closer proximity than France (seventh) and England (sixth).
Not alone are Ireland playing the world's second and fourth-ranked teams away from home this summer, but they face the All Blacks again in Croke Park next November followed by Argentina (ranked third in the world) and Canada.
Thereafter, Kidney will obviously be prioritising the Six Nations, though with an emphasis on utilising summer tours and autumn Tests to develop a 30-man squad for the World Cup. In another attempt to right the wrongs of the past, the new management will strive to improve the virtually non-existent communication lines between the Irish set-up and the provinces.
The anticipated appointment of Paul McNaughton as Irish manager will help considerably. McNaughton, a former Irish international centre, has remained on good terms with Kidney since the two worked as manager and coach with Leinster in 2004-05, and has subsequently served as chairman of the province's Professional Management Board.
He will be Kidney's man, rather than a union lackey, and is also highly respected in the Leinster dressingroom.