Former Ireland great could be available to take over from Gaffney...

Sandwlch

...and Kidney in a year or two.
It seems Johnson is going to jetison some of his backroom coaching staff to save his job - including backs coach Brian Smith. England's loss could be Ireland's gain. Once one of the most talented backs in the world, and with a wealth of coaching experience and a great rugby brain, he could be the solution the IRFU are looking for. And a useful apprentice in the wings in case Kidney's performance doesnt improve quickly and dramatically...
You heard it here first folks.

durkadurka

I dont remember Brian smith being an Ireland 'great' though.

Cpt_Blackbeard

durkadurka wrote: »

I dont remember Brian smith being an Ireland 'great' though.

...

RMD

I'd love to see a good backs coach take the Irish coaching position. We don't use the skills available in that backline anywhere near the level we should.

jaansu

I don't remember him being a 'great' either, however I'd love to see what he could do with our backline.

durkadurka

He was only around for a year or two. The press had it in for him because he was an import.

.ak

Dunno about hearing it here first... Smith's been mentioned a few times over the past month or so.

get him to Ulster ASAP

puntosporting

Ya shur he did a great job with England...

jacothelad

puntosporting wrote: »

Ya shur he did a great job with England...

Well he had a load of dross with which to work. Banananananahan and Hapless never mind Tindall.

PhatPiggins

jacothelad wrote: »

Well he had a load of dross with which to work. Banananananahan and Hapless never mind Tindall.

Very true hard to judge a backs coach when the manager insists on playing 2 flankers in the centre. That said Gaffney was a very well respected coach untill Ireland got their hands on him. Personally I don't think it matters what backs coach a team has if the head coach has a different ethos examples: Dick Muir South Africa, Eddie Jones South, Alan Gaffney Ireland, Brian Smith England, Emile N'Tamack France . All quality coaches but they might as well have been water carriers with the amount of attention those countries managers paid to back play.

irishbucsfan

On a short contract, sure. Apart from that, the English back play hardly inspired anyone with any confidence for the past while.

But he is young, and maybe he was handcuffed by Johnson.

Snickers Man

durkadurka wrote: »

He was only around for a year or two. The press had it in for him because he was an import.

The press had it in for him mainly because having defected FROM Australia, where he had been a scrum half and had played against Ireland in the 1987 World Cup, to Ireland where he played at out half he then pissed off to Rugby League just before the 1991 World Cup. Easy come, easy go.

He wasn't a bad player but he played in an unfortunate team. In 1990, Ireland only won one match and were thumped by both France and England away as well as losing badly to Scotland at home in the first leg of their Grand Slam campaign. Ireland beat Wales in the Wooden Spoon decider which had to be played a week after the Grand Slam decider because of the then IRFU taboo of playing internationals on Paddy's Day. That was for schools cup finals, you see.

In 1991 Ireland drew against Wales and lost their other three matches. They had an exciting back line (including the likes of Brendan Mullin, Jim Staples and Simon Geoghegan) and Smith was adept at getting them running.So much so that Ireland scored more tries that season than England who won the Grand Slam. But it wasn't winning rugby.

Smith an Irish Great? I don't think so.

little173

He had a very good spell at London Irish and was getting the backs working brilliantly in his time there. He hasnt exactly lit up the England set up though and I suspect he left too early in his club career to joing the England set up where as backs coach it sits far behind the main man.

thomond2006

Former Ireland great could be available to take over from Gaffney...

Are you his agent?