An IRFU official last night intimated that a statement regarding the position of Irish coach Warren Gatland, the assistant Eddie O'Sullivan, and the team manager Brian O'Brien will be made today following week-long negotiations and discussions between the Union and the management.

A shroud of secrecy has hung over the negotiations and Gatland's future all week.

The Irish coach had wanted an extension to his existing contract to take him through to the 2003 World Cup and the union had agreed to a review of his position after the recent bout of five internationals. Discussions began last Monday when a sub-committee of the IRFU interviewed each of the aforementioned management triumvirate, though ostensibly these talks seem to have been a non-committal review of the season as much as anything else.

The sub-committee is believed to comprise of a chairman, IRFU chief executive Philip Browne, as well as Noel Murphy, Eddie Wigglesworth, Eddie Coleman, Syd Millar and John Lyons.

Further to those talks there were conflicting reports from union officials that another round of interviews between the union's sub-committee and each of the management trio were conducted on Wednesday, whereupon it was denied that such interviews had taken place.

A union spokesperson said there would be interviews either yesterday or today, but wouldn't reveal which day. Additionally there was a scheduled full committee of the union yesterday, though the union spokesperson would not say whether the position of the coach and management was discussed - though it would seem patently ridiculous if it wasn't given the week that's in it.

Last night, the same spokesperson commented: "Nothing happened today and there will be no statement today.

"I would hope that there would be something tomorrow (Friday). Discussions are ongoing and all these things take their time. You're talking about contracts, you're talking about options, you're talking about discussions, you're talking about toing and froing."