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Replying To Square_B:  "Really, you think that? By the time RWC 2027 comes along, O'Gara will be close to 51. The last 3 managers before Farrell were all under 50. How long more is he going to leave it so?"
last 3 coaches before farrell not managers. manager in rugby is different to head coach but they were all career coaches very different to O Gara.
Think he still sees more opportunity elsewhere before coming home. No rush for him to come home as could coach for years still. hes only 48 , 49 in few weeks. young for a coach

KillingFields (Limerick) - Posts: 3926 - 12/02/2026 15:07:39    2656084

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Replying To KillingFields:  "Next coach is unlikely to be O Gara. Whos still young enough for a coach. dont think he will go for ireland job yet. if he comes back to ireland it will be in a few years more."
He's nearly 50. Coaching is not like it used to be. If it comes up he'll take it in my opinion.

TheFlaker (Mayo) - Posts: 8747 - 12/02/2026 15:31:31    2656088

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Replying To TheFlaker:  "He's nearly 50. Coaching is not like it used to be. If it comes up he'll take it in my opinion."
As i said hes quite young and hes been offered positions in Ireland already and doesnt seem interested yet. think he sees other roles elsewhere as priority/focus before he will look to come home

KillingFields (Limerick) - Posts: 3926 - 12/02/2026 18:56:49    2656111

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Replying To Square_B:  "And if things go well he could get 2 world cup cycles and a last hurrah at Munster. At that stage he's be hitting his early 60's. He has to be the next Irish coach. I mean who else from Ireland has the depth of experience he has? No one."
Mark McCall has but he seems to be overlooked

jm25 (Galway) - Posts: 1940 - 12/02/2026 19:12:35    2656114

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Replying To TheFlaker:  "He's nearly 50. Coaching is not like it used to be. If it comes up he'll take it in my opinion."
I dont think he will yet. He is nearly 50 but doesnt have much interest in coming back to Ireland yet. and Ireland seem to pick guys as irish coach whove been coaching within system first so O Gara will either have to go to A provincial coach or assistant to ireland before he gets irish head coach gig. and he mightnt want that now.

KillingFields (Limerick) - Posts: 3926 - 12/02/2026 19:30:05    2656116

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Replying To KillingFields:  "I dont think he will yet. He is nearly 50 but doesnt have much interest in coming back to Ireland yet. and Ireland seem to pick guys as irish coach whove been coaching within system first so O Gara will either have to go to A provincial coach or assistant to ireland before he gets irish head coach gig. and he mightnt want that now."
That's absolute nonsense. Laughable actually. If a coach is good enough he doesn't have to become an assistant or take a provincial job.

TheFlaker (Mayo) - Posts: 8747 - 12/02/2026 20:12:31    2656124

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Replying To KillingFields:  "I dont think he will yet. He is nearly 50 but doesnt have much interest in coming back to Ireland yet. and Ireland seem to pick guys as irish coach whove been coaching within system first so O Gara will either have to go to A provincial coach or assistant to ireland before he gets irish head coach gig. and he mightnt want that now."
He shouldn't have to given his CV

OConnell has been poor in club and country roles so a joke if he's considered

ROG has years of experience with racing crusaders and LAR hes a few years older then Tandy and borthwick

Quesada and Robertson were rog age when they took intl roles

I would be shocked if he's not in an intl job by 2028 six nations

jm25 (Galway) - Posts: 1940 - 12/02/2026 20:18:23    2656125

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Replying To jm25:  "Mark McCall has but he seems to be overlooked"
My understanding is that McCall has spent most of his career as the Director of Rugby at Saracens, I don't recall anything significant at Ulster when he was head coach and whilst Sarcens won load of trophies over the years could you say he was really directly involved day by day on the pitch. Ronan on the other hand has coached in New Zealand & France and excelled. Won it all as a player and has picked up 2 European Titles with a very unfancied La Rochelle side. Unheard of for an Irish man to excel in both France & New Zealand. He has to be the next coach IMO.

Square_B (Leitrim) - Posts: 1797 - 12/02/2026 21:12:58    2656131

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Replying To KillingFields:  "I dont think he will yet. He is nearly 50 but doesnt have much interest in coming back to Ireland yet. and Ireland seem to pick guys as irish coach whove been coaching within system first so O Gara will either have to go to A provincial coach or assistant to ireland before he gets irish head coach gig. and he mightnt want that now."
That's pure nonsence. If the IRFU had any credibility they wouldn't put a double European winning coach in at Munster (he's not going to manage anyone else) or Assistant Coach. He's good enough to lead now.

Square_B (Leitrim) - Posts: 1797 - 12/02/2026 21:16:18    2656132

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Replying To conordee:  "I have to disagree. Lots of commentators in print and elsewhere have brought up the change with Nienaber's influence having a negative effect on Leinster and therefore on Irish players. More emphasis has been placed on defence than on attack which previously worked better under Schmidt and Lancaster."
Leinster have won one European Cup in 13 years, so what exactly was working for them so well? It was a time when you would say Ireland was at its peak. Leo Cullen has been head coach for 12 of those 13 years. Lancaster was not the head coach and neither is Nienaber. The scribes you are talking about are so typical of whats wrong with Irish rugby - it cant be our fault so stick the head in the sand and ignore it. How many of the scribes have called for Cullen to be sacked?

zinny (Wexford) - Posts: 2170 - 13/02/2026 05:33:26    2656155

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I doubt if the Allianz issue will get much coverage now.

zinny (Wexford) - Posts: 2170 - 14/02/2026 06:04:56    2656288

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Replying To zinny:  "I doubt if the Allianz issue will get much coverage now."
Over the demand for a boycott of the Israel match?

If an Irish team can play England, then really there's no argument is there?

(Not saying they ought not to of course! Sport boycotts only harm the sportspeople, not the regimes. Having Olympics on China and World Cup in Qatar undermine any moral stance on the part of anyone who took part in those.)

BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 4012 - 14/02/2026 12:45:38    2656326

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Replying To zinny:  "Leinster have won one European Cup in 13 years, so what exactly was working for them so well? It was a time when you would say Ireland was at its peak. Leo Cullen has been head coach for 12 of those 13 years. Lancaster was not the head coach and neither is Nienaber. The scribes you are talking about are so typical of whats wrong with Irish rugby - it cant be our fault so stick the head in the sand and ignore it. How many of the scribes have called for Cullen to be sacked?"
There are a few examples at the highest level in sport where the tail wags the dog, wasn't Cullens contract revised and extended a year or so ago, who in their wisdom engineered and signed off on that, who ever is responsible for extending his contract should be held to account.
12 years is far too long to hold that position.

supersub15 (Carlow) - Posts: 3362 - 14/02/2026 12:49:31    2656327

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Might head over to Kiely's for second half!

BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 4012 - 14/02/2026 15:03:57    2656337

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Replying To zinny:  "Leinster have won one European Cup in 13 years, so what exactly was working for them so well? It was a time when you would say Ireland was at its peak. Leo Cullen has been head coach for 12 of those 13 years. Lancaster was not the head coach and neither is Nienaber. The scribes you are talking about are so typical of whats wrong with Irish rugby - it cant be our fault so stick the head in the sand and ignore it. How many of the scribes have called for Cullen to be sacked?"
I had a post typed earlier this morning about this.... nothing wrong with it but not posted here for some BIZZARE reason.

Anyhow long and short of it is that Cullen should have gone after Northampton last year. He should have way before that but definitely after that game. He has a contract until 2027 and after that he should be thanked for his service and sent on his way.

Square_B (Leitrim) - Posts: 1797 - 14/02/2026 15:16:42    2656338

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Replying To Square_B:  "I had a post typed earlier this morning about this.... nothing wrong with it but not posted here for some BIZZARE reason.

Anyhow long and short of it is that Cullen should have gone after Northampton last year. He should have way before that but definitely after that game. He has a contract until 2027 and after that he should be thanked for his service and sent on his way."
Have to agree with you. In fact you won't get too many disagreeing with you around here about how he is still in charge. To leave one of the worlds best players on the bench to use him as an impact sub was total insanity.

Freethinker (Wicklow) - Posts: 2075 - 14/02/2026 15:32:10    2656340

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Replying To Freethinker:  "Have to agree with you. In fact you won't get too many disagreeing with you around here about how he is still in charge. To leave one of the worlds best players on the bench to use him as an impact sub was total insanity."
Sometimes there are 1 or 2 things running in the background etc.

supersub15 (Carlow) - Posts: 3362 - 14/02/2026 16:10:59    2656348

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Replying To BarneyGrant:  "Over the demand for a boycott of the Israel match?

If an Irish team can play England, then really there's no argument is there?

(Not saying they ought not to of course! Sport boycotts only harm the sportspeople, not the regimes. Having Olympics on China and World Cup in Qatar undermine any moral stance on the part of anyone who took part in those.)"
Teams that play in the GAA world games from the Middle East or Asia, in the Middle East and Asia teams that proudly wear their countries flag? I hope you got safely home from Kileys

zinny (Wexford) - Posts: 2170 - 14/02/2026 16:55:17    2656356

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Replying To zinny:  "Teams that play in the GAA world games from the Middle East or Asia, in the Middle East and Asia teams that proudly wear their countries flag? I hope you got safely home from Kileys"
Missing my point.

I dont support sports boycotts because they only harm the participants.

However, picking Israel above other vile regimes (and it has done vile things) is hypocritical. Soccer hasnt leg to kneel on given its murky associations.

BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 4012 - 14/02/2026 17:22:53    2656361

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Replying To BarneyGrant:  "Over the demand for a boycott of the Israel match?

If an Irish team can play England, then really there's no argument is there?

(Not saying they ought not to of course! Sport boycotts only harm the sportspeople, not the regimes. Having Olympics on China and World Cup in Qatar undermine any moral stance on the part of anyone who took part in those.)"
100% right Barney and we should all boycott that fascist regime hosting the soccer WC as well.

updwell (Limerick) - Posts: 948 - 14/02/2026 19:28:58    2656393

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