Eddie O'Sullivan has said he will be primarily responsible for recruiting a specialised backs coach to the Ireland rugby team.This means he will choose his own replacement. Ithe wake of the IRFU/Genesis recommendation he will be relieved of that role in a realigned management set-up.
Yesterday, however, an IRFU spokesman was unable to give details of the recruitment process or its timescale, and nothing is expected before Ireland's opening Six Nations match, against Italy at Croke Park on February 2nd.
In a Sunday Times interview, O'Sullivan was asked if he would be involved in recruiting a backs coach, a manager and a psychologist. "Absolutely," he replied. "As the union said to me, these are people I'll be working with. Certainly I'll pick the backs coach; he's a member of my staff. That's down to me.
"People ask whether a new backs coach will undermine me because I used to coach the backs. Well, if you're sensitive about it, it might. But let's be honest, coaching a back line is not about the 20 or 30 minutes on the pitch every day, it's also about the hours and hours that go in off the pitch, preparing and analysing. That's something I've been trying to do. I don't think I've been doing too badly. We weren't a bad back line in the Six Nations. But if this part of the process is helping me to stand back and get a better overview, then that's good."
O'Sullivan argued the new structures will not dilute his power as national head coach.
And the IRFU spokesperson confirmed: "Eddie will certainly have a part in it (the recruiting). But this will not be rushed into. The only thing that matters is we get the right people."
O'Sullivan revealed his attempts to fill the void left by the departure of Brian O'Brien as Ireland manager two years ago, while also running the back line and selecting the team. Ger Carmody is the current manager but his role is confined to logistics and administration.
Apart from O'Sullivan, who received a four-year contract extension before the World Cup, the Ireland backroom team (not including the video analyst, Mervyn Murphy) are out of contract after the Six Nations.
In his first extended public utterances since the World Cup, O'Sullivan took responsibility for Ireland's failure to reach the quarter-finals: "Look, I made a balls of the World Cup. Hands up, it went badly wrong. I now know why. I'm not hiding behind anything. I got a strategic aspect of our build-up wrong and it hurt us badly."
He insists his motivation remains as high as in 2003: "I still have the same hunger. I'm sorry but I do. It's the ultimate prize for a coach and if you still can make a good job of it, why not?"
He also attempted to scotch rumours of player unrest during the World Cup, insisting, for instance, Brian O'Driscoll did not demand a change at scrumhalf after the Georgia game.
O'Sullivan reiterates the main reason for Ireland's failure was lack of match practice (despite the fact their build-up was similar to that of most nations). In retrospect, he would have cut fitness preparation by "two to three weeks" and played two more warm-up matches.
He also denies a difference of opinion with the IRFU director of fitness, Liam Hennessy: "No, I wouldn't say I had a difference of opinion with him but he did ask me after the first pool match if I had increased the volume . . . I explained to him that I hadn't and went through the training programme with him. I was very conscious that we couldn't (afford to) do it."
