Johnny Watterson introduces some of the unsung heroes behind the scenes for Leinster and Munster

Leinster

Head coach

Prior to this season, Michael Cheika has had Heineken European Cup coaching experience with Italian side Padova in 1999/2000. A Randwick captain from 1997 to 1999 and later a coach, alongside David Knox, he also played number eight for the Australian Under-21s, New South Wales, Castres Olympique and CASG Paris in the French league and Italian side Rugby Livorno, where he played with Knox. The two then moved to Randwick and resurrected the Sydney club by winning two cup finals under their rule. Cheika won seven Premiership titles with Randwick in a playing career that lasted from 1985 to 1999.

Team manager

Former Ireland centre Paul McNaughton was educated in Rockwell College & Trinity College Dublin. He captained his home side Greystones in their inaugural year at senior level and also played for Wanderers and Leinster. He earned 15 caps for Ireland in a three-year consecutive spell of international appearances. A former National League centre forward with Shelbourne and inter-county Gaelic footballer with Wicklow, McNaughton recently retired from Deutsche Bank after 15 years as chief executive of its Worldwide Security division.

Assistant coaches

David Knox was capped 13 times for Australia and was a member of the Australian 1991 World Cup-winning squad, as well as featuring in eight Premiership-winning teams with Randwick. Knox also played with Petrarca Padova (1986-89) where he won the 1987 National Championship, Livorno Rugby (1990-92), Bristol Rugby Club (1998) and Racing Club Narbonne (1999). He also played in the Currie Cup with the Natal Sharks in 1997-98 and has held coaching positions with Padova (2000), Waverley College (2002-03), South Sydney Rugby League (2003) and Randwick since 2003.

Former Ireland coach Gerry Murphy played for Dublin University and Wanderers, where his coaching career began. He spent a season with Clontarf before coaching the Ireland Under-21 squad and the Development squad that toured South Africa. He became Ireland coach from 1992 to 1995, a spell when Ireland notched successive victories over England - in Dublin in 1993 and Twickenham in 1994 - and a quarter-final place in the 1995 World Cup in South Africa.

Another former Ireland coach, Roly Meates began his playing career as a tighthead prop with Dublin University and Wanderers. Known as a specialist in the scrum, he has also coached Ireland Universities and was chairman of selectors for the IRFU. Meates, who golfs in Carrickmines, has coached Leinster on two previous occasions and has also worked at All-Ireland League level with Dublin University and Wanderers.

Forwards coach

Mike Brewer was brought in by Michael Cheika. He played 32 times for the All Blacks including in the 1995 World Cup final in South Africa. Has played in all three looseforward positions.

Strength and conditioning

Former track and field coach Dave Fagan joined Leinster in 1996 after a period as Irish national coach in the shot and discus. He was involved in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and was personal coach to the former Ireland number eight Victor Costello. Brad Harrington is originally from Sydney, Australia, and is in his second season with Leinster. He has worked as a strength-and-conditioning coach with professional rugby union and league teams in Australia, Britain, Europe and Ireland.

Jason Cowman held the position of fitness advisor for three years with Leinster before completing a Masters in Exercise Physiology in Florida State University. Prior to that, he was educated in Clonkeen College, Dublin, and obtained a degree in Sports Science from the University of Limerick in 1998.

Physiotherapist

Dubliner James Allen joined Leinster on a full-time basis in October 2004, having worked as a locum physiotherapist during the Matt Williams and Gary Ella eras. He also spent three years with the Dublin senior football team and worked in DBC Ireland, a specialist spinal and sports-medicine rehabilitation centre.

Operations manager

David McHugh was a member of the Irish Sailing team from 1995 to 2000 and competed in that sport at Olympic level. From Ashford, Co Wicklow, he was educated in St Andrews College, Dublin, and the Accountancy & Business College. He started with Leinster in 2002 under Matt Williams and is responsible for the day-to-day running of the team off-field.

Kit manager

John O'Hagan has perhaps the most undervalued job (just think of all the gear needed to keep a team going for almost 12 months a year). He is a former Bective winger and Shelbourne soccer player.

Communications manager

Peter Breen was appointed media and communications officer for Leinster in the summer of 2004 having held a similar position with the Irish Cricket Union. He was educated in Belvedere College and University College Dublin. A former rugby correspondent for the Dublin Daily newspaper.

Technical analyst

Former Leinster and Ireland A outhalf Emmet Farrell was educated in Blackrock College, Dublin. He joined the Leinster management team in November 2003 as video analyst and his main duties for the side include performance (both team and individual) and opposition analysis.

Team doctors

Prof Arthur Tanner first began looking after Leinster in the "amateur" days and has been with them since as well as with the Ireland Youths team, the Ireland A team and the National team. Educated in The High School, Dublin, and Trinity College he now works for the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland as director of surgery.

Dr Jim McShane has also worked with the national team over the last two years. Educated at St Mary's College, and The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, he is a general practitioner in Dún Laoghaire. He played his rugby with St Mary's College RFC, a club he captained in 1985/1986 and also represented Connacht at interprovincial level.

Munster

Director of coaching

Declan Kidney has worked with all of the Irish underage teams including the Irish Under-19 team, which he guided to a Fira World Cup triumph, and the Irish Schools that won a Triple Crown. He returned to Munster senior team coaching at the beginning of the 2005-2006 season after a one-season spell with Leinster. Educated at PBC, where he started his rugby, and UCC, he coached Dolphin as well as Munster in the 1990s and was also assistant coach to Eddie O'Sullivan with the Ireland team.

Team manager

Jerry Holland took over in July 2000. He is a former Munster and Ireland secondrow and previously coached Munster for three years. Steeped in Munster and Irish rugby, he was also the Ireland A manager in the 1998/1999 season.

Assistant coach

Jim Williams is a former Australian international player, who came to Munster to play and found he simply couldn't leave. The big Australian was the personification of consistency throughout his playing years and was also a superb captain. Highly respected as a competitor and now seen as an expert in the breakdown area of forward play, Williams was brought into the Munster coaching structures by Kidney this season.

Forwards coach

Brian Hickey is a qualified dentist who coached at Cork Constitution, University College Cork and Young Munster before moving into the Munster set-up. As a player he played wing forward and fullback and was the back-up fullback for London Irish for six seasons while qualifying as a dentist.

Specialist coaches

Tony McMahon (33) is Australian by birth and played rugby league for the Brisbane Broncos and union for Eastern District. He arrived in Munster from Japan and is a teacher by profession. Currently the backs coach, he was Australian A team coach in 2003. Paul McCarthy is Munster's equivalent of Roly Meates. The 42-year-old played tighthead and loosehead prop for Cork Constitution, Munster, the Barbarians and Ireland. A business development manager for ABB Ireland, he is in his fourth season with Munster.

Fitness co-ordinators

Damien Mednis is a 39-year-old from Brisbane, Australia, and joined Munster two years ago after 10 years with the Queensland Reds. A leading high-jumper, he missed out on the Seoul Olympics when Australia decided not to send a high-jump team. Aiden O'Connell is from Ballyclough, Cork. His education in UCC, Edinburgh University and Yale brought him to Leinster, where he spent three years as a strength coach. It is the 31-year-old's second season with Munster.

Fergal O'Callaghan was a member of the national lightweight rowing team between 1992 and 1994. The 37-year-old has a Sports and Exercise degree from University of Limerick and has been with Munster for seven years.

Seán Whitney is another strength coach and is in his second season with Munster. The 46-year-old from Dublin was formerly with BLÉ (now Athletics Ireland) as national throwing coach. He is married to a former Miss Ireland bodybuilder.

Physiotherapists

Kirsty Peacock was born in Newcastle, England, and took a Masters in Physiotherapy in Trinity having qualified in Salford University. She rowed with the Irish team and was physiotherapist to them between 1998 and 2000. She has been with Munster for six seasons.

Nick Green is another Australian in the team, from New South Wales. This is his second season with Munster. He is a former minor-league hockey player in Australia and by all accounts is as talented at playing music as he is at patching up broken players.

Masseurs

Dave Revins lives in Glanmire, Cork, and has been with Munster for two years. The 49-year-old's ability has obviously travelled far and wide as he was enlisted by the Australian national team on their last tour to Ireland for the autumn international series.

Operations manager

Bryan Murphy played at scrumhalf for UCC and Highfield. He's in his second season, having been team secretary to Munster from 1993 to 1995. The 39-year-old is also team secretary for the Munster under-21s and is a business development manager with Western International.

Kit manager

A member of Shannon RFC and also the kit man there with the senior squad, 52-year-old Jack Kiely was also involved with the Ireland Under-21s during the recent Six Nations series. Also a former captain of Athlunkard Boat Club.

Media manager

Pat Geraghty (51) has been with Munster since 2000, having previously performed the same role with Leinster. He is responsible for organising and co-ordinating media requirements, as well as the arrangement of media briefings and interviews.

Video analyst

George Murray is originally from Bray, Co Wicklow. The 26-year-old played on the Junior Cup team and Senior Cup team for Presentation College Bray, then spent three seasons as a scrumhalf with Greystones. He was a development officer with the Leinster branch before joining Munster.

Team doctors

Dr Michael Shinkwin is a 51-year-old from Clonakilty and has been living in Limerick for 15 years, where he works in a general practice. He graduated from University College Cork in 1980 and is married with three children. There are two other doctors also listed as part of the Munster team, Dr Tadhg O'Sullivan and Dr Éanna Falvey.