Former Ireland stars Peter Clohessy and Alan Quinlan say Declan Kidney should step down
Last Updated: March 4, 2013 9:03am
Former Ireland internationals Peter Clohessy and Alan Quinlan have called on Declan Kidney to step down as head coach at the end of the Six Nations.
Kidney's contract expires in the summer and his hopes of securing a new deal look over following Ireland's calamitous defeat to Scotland.
Both Clohessy and Quinlan played under Kidney at Munster and they believe it's time for him to go.
"He's had a great career but I think it's time for him to move on," Clohessy told the Irish Examiner.
"If I was him, I'd like to think he would be man enough to step down when his contract is over."
Backfired
Quinlan says the decisions to take the captaincy off Brian O'Driscoll and to select Paddy Jackson at fly-half in Murrayfield have ended his hopes of a new contract.
"The decision with the captaincy was always going to be a big one for him," said Quinlan.
"At the time I said there shouldn't be a big deal made of it and it was one of those that if Ireland had a great Six Nations, everybody would have said it was a great decision to make.
"It was a bold decision and it has backfired on him. If you have a player like Brian O'Driscoll on the pitch, he's probably too big a player to not make captain.
"Jamie Heaslip was maybe intimidated by it, but then again if you're winning matches these issues wouldn't come up. The Paddy Jackson decision was another big one."
