MOC and Leinster parted company as per Indo Tweet

Stainalert

MOC gone

MOD: Posts moved from LR thread to here because it'll be a pretty big topic that deserves its own thread.

sullivlo

Stainalert wrote: »

MOC gone

Link?

Cookiemunster

sullivlo wrote: »

Link?

Rúaidhrí O'Connor ‏@RuaidhriOC 1m1 minute ago Matt O'Connor to leave Leinster. Players told this morning, more to follow on independent.ie

Brendan Fanning ‏@BrendanFanning 9m9 minutes ago

Matt O'Connor parting company with Leinster. Players told first thing this morning. Leo Cullen likely to fill gap in short term

Stainalert

sullivlo wrote: »

Link?

Getting tweeted by Brendan Fanning

Podge_irl

Cookiemunster wrote: »

Leo Cullen likely to fill gap in short term

Eh....how short term. Cause that's a massive step down from MOC!

.ak

Ugh. Whilst I have no problem with him leaving, I think the circumstances will leave us in rag order. We'll take a long, long time to recover. What sort of coach are we going to be able to get in a WC year?

Buer

Oh be the hokey.

Best for all involved and that has been apparent for some time. Surprised it has come to pass at this stage and leave Leinster in the lurch very much regarding an appointment.

I wish him all the best. He's a successful coach but could not mesh with Leinster. Gave it a good effort and can leave in the knowledge that he did achieve some things while here although ultimately fell short of the required performance.

Stainalert

Ewen McKenzie being spoken about

Get ready for a very, very, very strange season!

Quint2010

There were rumours of a big name signing this morning according to the Irish Times blog from the PGA Golf. Turns out the announcement of MOC's leaving is the big announcement. Can't say I am either surprised or disappointed with this news.

Quint2010

Podge_irl wrote: »

Eh....how short term. Cause that's a massive step down from MOC!

He could hardly do much worse...

Quint2010

Quint2010 wrote: »

He could hardly do much worse...

O rly?

A newbie coach, who's forwards role this very year at this very club hasn't reaped rewards, is less of a risk/issue than an established and experienced coach with titles behind him?

total former

Well jaysus. As .ak says, if it's time to go, it's time to go, but it's going to be a nightmare to replace him.

Cue the dredging up of the usual list of suspects:
Jake White
Nick Mallett
Eddie O'Sullivan
Michael Bradley
Conor O'Shea
Ewan Mackenzie

Anyone else?

Buer

Quint2010 wrote: »

He could hardly do much worse...

Maybe you haven't been watching our packs performance over the past season? It has been the biggest difference between this year and last.

DGRulz

Cookiemunster wrote: »

Leo Cullen likely to fill gap in short term

Depending on how short term is short term, we are now in a much, much worse position.

Podge_irl

Quint2010 wrote: »

He could hardly do much worse...

He really, really could.

And judging by the state of some of our forward set piece work this season he would.

Rosie Gardens

Just seen a tweet from the Indo Sport, MOC has been sacked

Anyone else know more?


Edit: Full story on the Indo site now and I amended the title too

Buer

total former wrote: »

Well jaysus. As .ak says, if it's time to go, it's time to go, but it's going to be a nightmare to replace him.

Cue the dredging up of the usual list of suspects:
Jake White
Nick Mallett
Eddie O'Sullivan
Michael Bradley
Conor O'Shea
Ewan Mackenzie

With Biarritz not getting promoted, EOS wouldn't be the worst but it won't happen.

A friend in Sydney told me that Mackenzie is apparently looking for a new challenge away from Australia and has experience of club coaching in Europe already. Would be surprised but he's certainly someone that should be sounded out.

.ak

Yeah, I can see us very much losing the season if we fail to appoint someone before the RWC.

I'm very surprised by this. I thought he would have stuck it out for another year and I was happy enough with that with Sexton and Nacewa coming back.

Buer

DGRulz wrote: »

Depending on how short term is short term, we are now in a much, much worse position.

Don't know about much worse but I really hope this trigger was pulled two months ago because we're hugely limited in our ability to attract anyone now.

Pre-season training starts in about 8 weeks. Not too many top coaches will be unsigned for next season and willing to up sticks and relocate their lives in that time frame.

I can only assume the work has been going on behind the scenes for a while now.

.ak

Well it doesn't appear he's been sacked by the wording. Looks like he's walking out.

phog

total former wrote: »

Well jaysus. As .ak says, if it's time to go, it's time to go, but it's going to be a nightmare to replace him.

Cue the dredging up of the usual list of suspects:
Jake White
Nick Mallett
Eddie O'Sullivan
Michael Bradley
Conor O'Shea
Ewan Mackenzie

Anyone else?

Jake seems to be out of the running

EatSleepRugby ‏@Eat_Sleep_Rugby 38m38 minutes ago
Jake White has signed a 2 year extension with Montpellier as a 'consultant' ending rumours of becoming France coach.

I'd honestly prefer Girve to take the reigns for the year and we all just accept it as an experiment that could go terribly wrong.

.ak

Don't think Ewan MacKenzie would work either. He's very like MOC in terms of how he goes about things.

Buer

phog wrote: »

Jake seems to be out of the running

Think he was being facetious. They're the people who will be trotted out unendingly by people as strong contenders. They are for every single Irish job when none of them are likely options.

.ak

Deleted User wrote: »

I'd honestly prefer Girve to take the reigns for the year and we all just accept it as an experiment that could go terribly wrong.

Yeah I'm surprised he hasn't been promoted temporarily. I suppose he might still be as an assistant for Cullen.

durkadurka

durkadurka wrote: »

I dont normally post gossip of this nature but someone that I find credible told me the MOC is on the way out, and has told the dressing room.

durkadurka on the ball a few weeks ago! (posted 27/04/2015)

Rosie Gardens

.ak wrote: »

Well it doesn't appear he's been sacked by the wording. Looks like he's walking out.

You could well be right, one tweet said sacked, the next said parted company. But the original
'sacked' tweet wasn't deleted. There was no article or link on either tweet.

LeinsterDub

Good riddance

padser

While it leaves us in a difficult position, I'm so thankful that the era of MOC is over.

Perhaps one of the biggest legacies is the wedge it drove between Leinster fans with diametrically opposed views.

Quint2010

Deleted User wrote: »

O rly?

A newbie coach, who's forwards role this very year at this very club hasn't reaped rewards, is less of a risk/issue than an established and experienced coach with titles behind him?

Cullen now has a year of coaching under his belt. He will hopefully have learned from his mistakes. Most of the problem was the "environment" MOC had created. It was far too lax.

Well the IRFU apparently gave him a pretty strong dressing down over the player welfare comments and the fans definitely haven't been kind.

That said, we are still good enough to make top 4 and the constant moaning has annoyed a lot of people. If my coach constantly made excuses for my performances it would seriously rub me up the wrong way but I can't speak for how individual players feel.

For 90% of the season when we've been bad we've been awful, and when we've been good we've only been ok.

Onwards and upwards!

total former

Can we merge these threads please .ak?

errlloyd

Interim coach is a good solution for now

.ak

Whilst I'm no supporter of MOC I wish him all the best. He tried his best at the province and still managed to pick up silverware despite a massively depleted squad, and yet was given a rough time from the fans.

LeinsterDub wrote: »

Good riddance

Case in point. :pac:

Podge_irl

Quint2010 wrote: »

Cullen now has a year of coaching under his belt. He will hopefully have learned from his mistakes. Most of the problem was the "environment" MOC had created. It was far too lax.

Set pieces are set pieces - they're completely removed from the heads up rugby MOC was trying to coach. And ours sucked. Leo looks like he's not even ready to be a forwards coach, never mind head coach.

thomond2006

You called?

awec

Deleted User wrote: »

I'd honestly prefer Girve to take the reigns for the year and we all just accept it as an experiment that could go terribly wrong.

Would he really want it?

A disastrous showing from him would have implications for his future coaching career if he feels he isn't ready yet.

total former

Deleted User wrote: »

Well the IRFU apparently gave him a pretty strong dressing down over the player welfare comments and the fans definitely haven't been kind.

If indeed he has walked, as it would appear, this may have been a major factor. Joe and Nucifora calling a press conference to give out about him (even though they didn't contradict any of his claims) was a pretty clear message to him that his bosses didn't have much confidence in him. Hard to continue after that.

phog

.ak wrote: »

Well it doesn't appear he's been sacked by the wording. Looks like he's walking out.

It depends on what tweet you read, I think they're all Indo journos

Independent Sport @IndoSport · 19m 19 minutes ago
#BREAKING Matt O'Connor sacked by Leinster. More to follow on Independent.ie

Rúaidhrí O'Connor @RuaidhriOC · 20m 20 minutes ago
Matt O'Connor to leave Leinster. Players told this morning, more to follow on independent.ie

Brendan Fanning @BrendanFanning · 26m 26 minutes ago
Matt O'Connor parting company with Leinster. Players told first thing this morning. Leo Cullen likely to fill gap in short term

awec

awec wrote: »

Would he really want it?

A disastrous showing from him would have implications for his future coaching career if he feels he isn't ready yet.

Yup, that's a pretty big issue. I don't think he'd actually get the lee-way that he'd deserve, and that would mean that it wouldn't really work as an 'experiment'.

total former

Girve shouldn't be let next nor near the first team, both for the team's sake and his own.

Hopefully Caputo will stay on.

awec

I think the timing of this is very strange.

Think Leinster would have been better sticking it out for another season to see how arriving players make an impact. Unless MOC has specifically asked to leave.

Rosie Gardens

.ak wrote: »

Whilst I'm no supporter of MOC I wish him all the best. He tried his best at the province and still managed to pick up silverware despite a massively depleted squad, and yet was given a rough time from the fans.



Case in point. :pac:

Totall agree...

Wasn't a great fan either, and I will admit to using some choice words about lots of stuff, BUT he's lost his job and it's very public, and I wouldn't wish that sort of embarassment on anyone. I too wish him luck, and hope 15/16 is a helluva lot better season for Leinster.

Buer

Deleted User wrote: »

I'd honestly prefer Girve to take the reigns for the year and we all just accept it as an experiment that could go terribly wrong.

If we could get a strong forwards coach with Dempsey working alongside, I'd be all ears.

The issue is, with Leo appointed as interim head coach, he's almost certain to remain the forwards coach so the new head coach will be a backs man, I would think.

I'd be a big advocate of Johann Ackermann if Cullen wasn't going to be forwards coach but he becomes less likely by the week and is probably a decent contender for the Springboks job in future.

Regarding backs coaches, I think we're looking to the southern hemisphere yet again.

jacothelad

Phillipe Saint Andre is a great coach as is Michael Bradley. They would make the dream coaching team a reality. Bradley would be my choice for Leinster.........:D..........on a 10 year contract.....with P.S.A. as director of arseing about.

LeinsterDub

.ak wrote: »

Whilst I'm no supporter of MOC I wish him all the best. He tried his best at the province and still managed to pick up silverware despite a massively depleted squad, and yet was given a rough time from the fans.



Case in point. :pac:

Poor moc the squad was depleted how we ever expect to beat the might of the dragons..

thomond2006

Umm..ak...my suggestion of Lievremont was for this thread. Please C&P.

Tox56

I'm not really that surprised, coming 5th in the league isn't good enough. The only thing that might have prevented it is the fact next year is a World Cup year and the apparent lack of alternatives. It clearly wasn't working on either side though and I don't think another season would have changed that. Cullen taking over would be shocking though

total former

awec wrote: »

I think the timing of this is very strange.

Think Leinster would have been better sticking it out for another season to see how arriving players make an impact. Unless MOC has specifically asked to leave.

Yeah, the timing of it would seem to indicate that he's left of his own accord. I posted in the main Leinster thread that the dressing down he got from Schmidy and Nucifora was fairly unprecedented and definitely not a vote of confidence - maybe he just felt that if he didn't have full backing, he might as well throw his hat at it.