RUGBY NEWS EUROPEAN:TONY McGAHAN, Munster's defensive/backs coach, remains the likeliest choice to succeed the departing Declan Kidney, although the province's Provincial Team Management Committee have still to complete a short list from which they will choose the new head coach.
Speculation linking the former Wallabies prop Ewen McKenzie with the vacancy looks wide of the mark, despite his confirming yesterday he was about to take up a coaching job in Europe.
McKenzie has had productive spells as assistant coach to the ACT Brumbies and the Wallabies as well as the last three seasons as New South Wales Waratahs head coach and is believed to have been in negotiations with Stade Français to replace the departing Fabien Galthié, though apparently those talks hit a snag recently.
The Munster chief executive, Garrett Fitzgerald, confirmed yesterday, "Munster have not spoken to Ewan McKenzie. Some time ago we were told he was thinking of moving (to Europe) and all this information was passed on to us. Then we were told he was going to be a coach at Stade Français next year. Nothing has changed since and Munster haven't spoken to Ewen McKenzie."
As with Munster's last two head-coach appointments - ie, the choosing of Alan Gaffney to replace Kidney in 2002 and the rehiring of Kidney in 2005 - the committee will pick the new man.
Chaired by Martin O'Sullivan, it also consists of Fitzgerald, Jerry Holland and Jim Riordan. Fitzgerald admitted they were still drawing up a short list having "temporarily parked the issue" last week.
"We've looked at a shortlist of available people and we haven't got any further," he added, confirming they would seek to do this over the next week or two.
The former Munster and Ireland scrumhalf Michael Bradley, currently caretaker coach of the Ireland team as well as Connacht coach, is the other leading domestic candidate. And as the IRFU discovered when sounding out the likes of John Mitchell and Pat Howard in light of Eddie O'Sullivan's resignation, few proven frontline coaches are available.
McGahan might also be wanted by Kidney as part of the new Ireland coaching ticket but Munster would be reluctant to lose someone who was such an integral part of their two Heineken Cup wins and is highly respected by the players, all the more so on top of losing Jim Williams as forwards coach as well.
When asked about his candidature after Saturday's Heineken Cup final win, the Australian, who served time as a defensive/backs coach with Queensland As and the Australian under-19s before a year as head coach with the IBM club in Japan, commented, "I understand there's a process in place and, yes, I am part of that, and time will tell whether that goes forward."
Changes to the Munster squad will be relatively minimal, despite the retirements of Anthony Foley (who will be assistant/forwards coach with the Munster under-20s and perhaps take a role with Shannon), Shaun Payne (to be full-time manager next season) and John Kelly and the non-renewal of the contracts of Mossie Lawlor and Eugene McGovern.
With Denis Hurley and Keith Earls being promoted from development to full-time contracts, Munster have made no secret of their desire to acquire a backrower, more likely a number six-cum-eight, and one of Test standard.
"We are looking at some of our key areas," admitted Fitzgerald, "and at signing a top-quality player, but unless they are as good as what we have we need to look after our own players - that's our policy. Nearly all our current squad are recontracted."
Speculation linking Jerry Collins with Munster also looks premature, not least in light of the 27-year-old's apparent inclination to walk away from frontline rugby.
Although the All Blacks and Wellington Hurricanes flanker this week confirmed his decision to retire from his rugby obligations in New Zealand, as of yet it is uncertain what the future holds for him. Having been released from his New Zealand Rugby Union contract, Collins is planning on taking a break from the game.
He told a press conference in Wellington he had no overseas contracts and will not be rushing into making a decision.
"I've been thinking about things for a while and I know it's time to step back," said Collins, who played 48 tests for the All Blacks, including three as captain.
"We were notified he might be available two weeks ago and again Munster have not spoken to the player or his representatives," said Fitzgerald.
The odds of 20 to 1 or 25 to 1 about Munster prior to the start of this season's competition will probably never be equalled in light of the new draw system. This will be based on seedings that see them go into the hat as Europe's number-one-ranked team.
Scheduled to take place in June, the draw will distribute one team from each of the four tier levels into each of the six pools, though no teams from the same country will be drawn in the same pool, with the exception of two French teams, as they have seven qualifiers. Munster will therefore avoid Toulouse, Biarritz, Leicester, Stade Français and Wasps (as well as their Irish counterparts).
Leinster will go into the draw as the top second seeds, with Ulster among the third seeds.
Hence, looking at the likely composition of the four tiers, there will still be the proverbial Group of Death, all the more so given Clermont Auvergne's relatively unproductive European campaigns sees them in the third tier; so too the Ospreys and Cardiff along with likely French qualifiers Castres.
Even a top seed wouldn't welcome one of those along with, say, Edinburgh or the seventh French qualifier, be it Montauban, Montpellier or Bourgoin, from the fourth tier. The luck of the draw will again apply in spades, given the third tier is likely to include the Dragons, as well as Ulster.
CUP 2008-09 HOW TIERS SHAPE UP
First Tier:Munster, Toulouse, Biarritz, Leicester, Stade Français, Wasps.
Second tier:Leinster, Bath, Gloucester, Perpignan, Sale, Llanelli.
Third tier:Ospreys, Cardiff, Clermont, Dragons, Ulster, Castres.
Fourth tier:Glasgow, Treviso (or Viadana), Edinburgh, seventh French qualifier, Calvisano (or Petrarca Rugby), Harlequins.
