Bradley is the man for Ireland - Stuart Barnes

Interested to know what others think. Stuart Barnes has a piece in the Sunday Times today saying Bradley is the man to take charge of Ireland next given he says Joe Schmidt is unlikely.

I must say Edinburgh's style of play and offloading game has impressed me but Edinburgh have always been a team who have liked to keep the ball moving and use the full width of the pitch. Bradley came into a tough situation but also a no pressure situation as Edinburgh had fallen so far and his stock was so low no-one expected anything but imo Edinburgh had the basis of a good team and he's helped them develop.

IMO they got lucky with the group they were in but made the most of that luck and dug out some good victories when they looked in trouble.

They performed well against a injury hit and disjointed Toulouse and were deserving victors, they built from their early try and showed great belief to close out the victory well.

Yesterday they performed well but I think Ulster showed up their limitations from 50 or so mins on but they've taken big strides forward.

Also it has to be added that as soon as they won a couple of games in the Heineken Cup they pretty much threw in the towel in the league which is up to them and it worked out ok for them but as expectations rise and Edinburgh face a tougher test in the Heineken group stage next time it will be a new challenge.

When he came into Connacht in his first season, imo he did a great job in cobbling together a decent side when the spine of our team was departing and we should have got to the Challenge Cup final that year.

2nd year he did ok, another Challenge Cup semi-final but our league form tapered off towards the end and more key players departed and crucially he went for the Munster job and was turned down. He came back to Connacht then when he shouldn't have. He had done as much as he could with us and should have looked for a new challenge.

The next 4 years were disastrous with an odd good home victory keeping him from coming under any sustained pressure. Issues have been well documented. His record as Irish A coach during that time was hardly inspiring either.

A late run in his final season improved his record slightly after it was announced he'd be leaving at the end of the season.

He'll need a two or three good seasons before he'll convince me he should be let anywhere near the Irish setup but I have my Connacht Cap on in this situation. I do think he's taken the first steps to rebuilding his reputation but that's all.

Basic Question: If the Irish position fell vacant in the morning and Schmidt ruled himself out, would you want Bradley as Irish Coach?

CIARAN_BOYLE

Borders no.2 wrote: »

Interested to know what others think. Stuart Barnes has a piece in the Sunday Times today saying Bradley is the man to take charge of Ireland next given he says Joe Schmidt is unlikely.

"Joe Schmidt is a blow in that has nothing to do with Irish rugby and he will thankfully have left the country in a few years." Thats the IRFUs view on Schmidt so I have to agree that he is unlikely.

That said I don't think Bradley would be my choice at all.

CatFromHue

Michael Bradley was Ireland coach for a short tour to OZ and NZ after Eddie quit. He didn't do a bad job in his limited time there in fairness.

Nz 21 11 Ire
Oz 18 12 Ire

http://www.irishrugby.ie/rugby/4786.php
http://www.irishrugby.ie/rugby/match_centre.php?section=lineups&fixid=51324

I couldn't see him leaving Edinburgh after one season. If next season they build on this season he'd be mad to not stay for a third.

Teferi

Borders no.2 wrote: »

Basic Question: If the Irish position fell vacant in the morning and Schmidt ruled himself out, would you want Bradley as Irish Coach?

Basic Answer: I want someone with no preconceived notions of Irish rugby or our provinces. That person most likely exists in the Southern Hemisphere.

Fishooks12

Teferi wrote: »

Basic Answer: I want someone with no preconceived notions of Irish rugby or our provinces. That person most likely exists in the Southern Hemisphere.

This

CatFromHue

Teferi wrote: »

Basic Answer: I want someone with no preconceived notions of Irish rugby or our provinces. That person most likely exists in the Southern Hemisphere.

I don't understand this, it's like you don't trust Irish people to manage at all.

There is only a finite number of jobs in rugby and as Matt Williams has said Ireland is now a breeding ground for other nations coaches.

My take on Bradley is that if he continues to keep them playing attractive rugby and keeps progressing them well then he deserves to be in recognition for Ireland. He is working with inferior players in Edinburgh yet has them playing some lovely rugby and has gotten them to a HEC SF. His Rabo form is rubbish but wasn't helped by having so many internationals away this season. Of the ten games played during the RWC and 6N they lost 8.

Teferi

CatFromHue wrote: »

I don't understand this, it's like you don't trust Irish people to manage at all.

It's more that I don't trust the IRFU to choose a competent Irish coach tbh.

In any case, we've had a decade of Irish coaches. One brought them as forward as he could, the other is dragging them back. Nowhere in the rule books does it say we must have an Irish coach.

I'll take the best man for the job and couldn't give a shite about his nationality. It just wouldn't do us any harm to go looking for a good coach who isn't overly familiar with the Irish set up.

jacothelad

Borders no.2 wrote: »

Interested to know what others think. Stuart Barnes has a piece in the Sunday Times today saying Bradley is the man to take charge of Ireland next given he says Joe Schmidt is unlikely.

I must say Edinburgh's style of play and offloading game has impressed me but Edinburgh have always been a team who have liked to keep the ball moving and use the full width of the pitch. Bradley came into a tough situation but also a no pressure situation as Edinburgh had fallen so far and his stock was so low no-one expected anything but imo Edinburgh had the basis of a good team and he's helped them develop.

IMO they got lucky with the group they were in but made the most of that luck and dug out some good victories when they looked in trouble.

They performed well against a injury hit and disjointed Toulouse and were deserving victors, they built from their early try and showed great belief to close out the victory well.

Yesterday they performed well but I think Ulster showed up their limitations from 50 or so mins on but they've taken big strides forward.

Also it has to be added that as soon as they won a couple of games in the Heineken Cup they pretty much threw in the towel in the league which is up to them and it worked out ok for them but as expectations rise and Edinburgh face a tougher test in the Heineken group stage next time it will be a new challenge.

When he came into Connacht in his first season, imo he did a great job in cobbling together a decent side when the spine of our team was departing and we should have got to the Challenge Cup final that year.

2nd year he did ok, another Challenge Cup semi-final but our league form tapered off towards the end and more key players departed and crucially he went for the Munster job and was turned down. He came back to Connacht then when he shouldn't have. He had done as much as he could with us and should have looked for a new challenge.

The next 4 years were disastrous with an odd good home victory keeping him from coming under any sustained pressure. Issues have been well documented. His record as Irish A coach during that time was hardly inspiring either.

A late run in his final season improved his record slightly after it was announced he'd be leaving at the end of the season.

He'll need a two or three good seasons before he'll convince me he should be let anywhere near the Irish setup but I have my Connacht Cap on in this situation. I do think he's taken the first steps to rebuilding his reputation but that's all.

Basic Question: If the Irish position fell vacant in the morning and Schmidt ruled himself out, would you want Bradley as Irish Coach?

NO.

razorblunt

^^^ This.

They're shocking in the Pro 12, he's finally done something with their backs it has to be said but that's it. Barnes is jumping on the Edinburgh bandwagon plain and simple.

As a rule of thumb if Barnes is calling for someone to be given a game/cap/job, chances are 9 times out of 10 he's talking through his ring.

Tox56

I'm surprised that if Barnes was going to pick an exciting, succesful team with an Irish coach, that he wouldn't pick Conor O'Shea at Harlequins..

Neil3030

Borders no.2 wrote: »

Basic Question: If the Irish position fell vacant in the morning and Schmidt ruled himself out, would you want Bradley as Irish Coach?

I'd be too depressed to care...

ambid

Schmidt and O'Shea are the outstanding candidates.

Bradley is a good coach with a mixed record at both Connacht and Edinburgh. One season of good performance in one competition and rubbish performance in another copmpetition does not make him a viable candidate to be coach at test level.

It's typical lazy sensationalist hyperbole in which Barnes indulges - "this is the biggest match ever...", "the premiership is the toughest league in the world...", "this is the hottest cup of coffee of all time..."

Rubbish.

Conas

If Bradley could bring that offloading game to the Ireland setup, he'd be my pick all day long. Kidney has Ireland playing a backwards brand of rugby, and had he not beaten Australia in the World Cup he'd probaly be applying for his old job back.

flutered

having a cork con background will be of definate advantage to him