EOS seeing red?

EdgarAllenPoo · 02-10-2008 4:39pm #1

Taken from planet-rugby.com.

According to reports in the Irish Press, former Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan was spotted in Biarritz earlier this week, sparking speculation that he may replace the Basques' embattled coaching team.

Could O'Sullivan - who was Ireland Head Coach for six years and who has been without a coaching position since the end of the last Six Nations - be the next coach of Biarritz?

According to Irish daily The Examiner, O'Sullivan flew to the French coastal city on Tuesday for talks with powerbrokers at the famous club, owned by millionaire businessman Marcel Martin. While nothing has been put on paper, the possibility of a new coach being signed at Biarritz is more than plausible.

O'Sullivan has expressed his desire in recent months to return to top-flight coaching and the Corkman has also been linked with the vacant Director of Rugby post at Ospreys.

French champions in 2002, 2005 and 2006, Biarritz have since had a downward trend in their fortunes and the departure of coach Patrice Lagisquet at the end of last season was seen as the opportunity for a 'revival.'

Unfortunately not everything has gone to plan as former assistant coaches Jacques Delmas and Jack Isaac, who are now at the helm, have reportedly been given an ultimatum of three games to produce results after some dismal performances on the road this season.

Last weekend Biarritz suffered a humiliating 32-6 defeat away to Clermont Auvergne - their third loss in six matches. The result was followed a a meeting early on Sunday morning, where the riot act was reportedly read by the Biarritz bosses.

BO have one of the biggest budgets in French rugby and were expected to challenge for Heineken Cup honours as well this season. They face in-form Montpellier this Saturday.

Despite rumblings behind the scenes, senior players such as Jerome Thion and Imanol Harinordoquy have continued to back their under-fire coaching team.

marco_polo · 02-10-2008 5:54pm

Could be a good move for him if it happens, despite everything that happened he is still fundamentally a good rugby coach. If he has learnt the lessons of the latter years of his Ireland career, he still has a good future in the game ahead of him.

Noopti · 03-10-2008 8:24am

He needs to be a backs coach, and that is it. He is not cut out for running the main show by himself. I'm surprised he hasn't been picked up as a backs coach by someone, maybe he has been offered but feels it would be beneath him.

Anyway, best of luck to him. Sport is sport and I wouldn't hold any grudges against the man.

bamboozle · 03-10-2008 8:35am

i'd love to see him take over at Connacht and the province be used as a proper launch pad for up and coming players & i'd also have him as coach of the U21's.

Diamondmaker · 03-10-2008 9:18am

They never have the budget for that, he would be way out of the league from what IRFU allow in the Connacht coaches budget.

Noopti · 03-10-2008 9:23am

True, they need to keep Bradley there but start to allocate more resources to the province. The IRFU coffers are increasing all the time, they need to start taking Connaught seriously as a development team.
There are talented players languishing in Leinster and Munster and not getting consistent Magners league/Heineken Cup playing time under their belts. Of course, Leinster and Munster need strong squads, but there are players who aren't getting a look in....and they would be far better off with a team like Connaught.

Diamondmaker · 03-10-2008 9:29am

Noopti wrote: »

True, they need to keep Bradley there but start to allocate more resources to the province. The IRFU coffers are increasing all the time, they need to start taking Connaught seriously as a development team.
There are talented players languishing in Leinster and Munster and not getting consistent Magners league/Heineken Cup playing time under their belts. Of course, Leinster and Munster need strong squads, but there are players who aren't getting a look in....and they would be far better off with a team like Connaught.

Thats fair enough but EOS would still have a price tag well over even the top 2 provices.

Noopti · 03-10-2008 9:32am

I'm not saying EOS should be instated as coach in any province! Quite the contrary!

bamboozle · 03-10-2008 2:05pm

given that he lives in Galway it might suit him to take the job, if the IRFU want to take Connacht seriously or at least use it as a 'development' province then it would make a lot of sense of combining the role of Connacht coach with the Irish U21 Coach (maybe even have the irish u20 coach involved also)

handbraker · 06-10-2008 1:07pm

the IRFU should really & find something for him here. he is still a great coach & has a lot of insight into the irish team which we could do without going overseas

Diom · 06-10-2008 4:45pm

Bradley! Don't get me started....okay actually too late

Seriously. We were "gifted" Bradley so that he could develop into a coach of good enough standard for one of he other Provinces. So we are now in the situation of having a 'developing' coach in charge of 'developing' players, which is never going to help anyone understand if the players or the coach is ready. Developing players need a steady, and mature coach. One with plenty of experience.

As for EOS, he does live here so it wouldn't be too shocking for him to take a pay cut for convienience.

JWAD · 06-10-2008 5:49pm

Diamondmaker wrote: »

They never have the budget for that, he would be way out of the league from what IRFU allow in the Connacht coaches budget.

And the Connacht budget for coaching staff is how much exactly...............?

daveharnett · 06-10-2008 6:03pm

Biarritz have enough problems without his 'help'.

Can we not send him to wales instead? They've been doing rather too well in 6N lately :pac:

Jackz · 06-10-2008 6:16pm

JWAD wrote: »

And the Connacht budget for coaching staff is how much exactly...............?

Dude you keep asking open ended questions like that, you work for the IRFU try

\Connacht\Budget\Coaching Staff.

NotWormBoy · 07-10-2008 10:11am

JWAD wrote: »

And the Connacht budget for coaching staff is how much exactly...............?

Doesn't matter, you can sack the rest of them, Eddie won't listen to anyone else anyways ;-)

JWAD · 07-10-2008 10:28am

Jackz wrote: »

Dude you keep asking open ended questions like that, you work for the IRFU try \Connacht\Budget\Coaching Staff.

Well it was a very broad (unqualified) statement in the first place. Sorry to whizz on your chips, mate but I saw no reason for it.

Climate Expert · 07-10-2008 10:30am

He is not cut out for running the main show by himself.

Ireland's most successful ever mangager and you don't think he is cut out to coach a club side? Come on.

bleg · 07-10-2008 3:42pm

would be a good move by both sides

Noopti · 07-10-2008 3:48pm

Climate Expert wrote: »

Ireland's most successful ever mangager and you don't think he is cut out to coach a club side? Come on.

Most successful Irish coach ever isn't exactly the definition of a top world class coach. I wouldn't call 3 triple crowns successful. With the group of players he had at his disposal, he should have done much more.

He is a great backs coach. But he is too totalitarian to be a head coach.

Climate Expert · 07-10-2008 3:53pm

Most successful Irish coach ever isn't exactly the definition of a top world class coach

He had Ireland up to 3-4 in the world rankings. That is what you call world class. I can't stand this revisionist appraisal of EOS.

Trojan · 07-10-2008 4:03pm

Climate Expert wrote: »

He had Ireland up to 3-4 in the world rankings. That is what you call world class. I can't stand this revisionist appraisal of EOS.

By "revisionist" you're saying that this appraisal of EOS is new.

In fact if you check the boards.ie archives you'll find that plenty of people here were criticising his coaching decisions (or lack thereof) while Ireland were 3-4 in the rankings.

daveirl · 07-10-2008 8:34pm

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Climate Expert · 07-10-2008 8:45pm

daveirl wrote: »

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So winning games doesn't matter?

The greatest rugby team of all time went out of the World Cup in the QFs last year. You don't always win the right matches at the right time.

redroar1942 · 07-10-2008 8:48pm

But what about all the great players he had...........................................

I'm sick of hearing it. Other the BOD and maybe POC what Irish player from 2004-2007 would have walked onto a world 15?

I'm as dissapointed as the next that we did'nt win a grand slam but he was still a very good coach for Ireland.

daveirl · 07-10-2008 9:01pm

This post has been deleted.

jam_on_toast · 08-10-2008 9:53am

Climate Expert wrote: »

So winning games doesn't matter?

The greatest rugby team of all time went out of the World Cup in the QFs last year. You don't always win the right matches at the right time.

That makes no sense at all. They didnt win because they were mentally not strong enough, it all counts.

I personally dont put much into the in between WC years. I like to see progress, ie winning matches, improving perfromances, building strength in depth. Eddie didnt tick all these boxes, he made a team so stale it crumbled catastrophically when the going got tough.
Triple crowns is a runners up position.
World rankings count for nothing in nearly all sports. They are just for seeding purposes.

Goodluck2me · 08-10-2008 10:06am

daveirl wrote: »

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They probably were, and sayign the All blacks from 19XX were better doesnt stand up either, as the fitness levels and strength conditioning etc of the current generation of players is incomparable to that of their predecesors.

Noopti · 08-10-2008 10:13am

EOS was a bad coach for Ireland, I don't care about reaching 3/4 in World Rankings, or winning 3 Triple Crowns.

This team should have won at least one Grand Slam, and should have reached at least the Q/F of the World Cup. EOS made poor tactical decisions, refused to accept or listen to anyones opinions and refused to pick teams on form or merit. He set Irish Rugby back in my opinion, as we would have a much stronger squad today if he had allowed form players to break through into the team when they deserved. Competition for places breeds excellency. He never allowed that to happen.

C'mon....Simon Easterby?? He should have gone by the wayside a year before he did, only when injury forced his hand did EOS include players who deserved it on the Irish team.

Climate Expert · 08-10-2008 2:24pm

goodluck2me wrote: »

They probably were, and sayign the All blacks from 19XX were better doesnt stand up either, as the fitness levels and strength conditioning etc of the current generation of players is incomparable to that of their predecesors.

I would compare taht like inflation and inflation adjusted I still say that team were the best ever.
Henry was viewed down there as a failure as well despite doing an excellent job with that team.

And on EOS, his win % was miles ahead of any other Irish coach. So they missed out on a few six nations due to points difference. Yeah they came within a minute of a grand slam but so what. If that that France Scotland try hadn't been given or if a ball bounced a different way at Croke Park would it really be any different.

EOS seeing red?

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