Knox: IRFU's Kidney failure
Former Leinster coach critical of new national chief
Last updated: 13th May 2008
Kidney: Bad choice as Ireland coach according to David Knox
The Munster people think Kidney is a Messiah but I just don't understand that.
David Knox
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Former Leinster coach David Knox has claimed Ireland have made a big mistake by putting Declan Kidney in charge of the national side.
The IRFU turned to the Munster chief to replace Eddie O'Sullivan, despite the likes of World Cup-winner Jake White and former Leicester coach Pat Howard having been in the frame for the job.
However Australia-born Knox believes Ireland should have looked at appointing an overseas candidate.
Knox, who helped guide Leinster to the Magners League title this year as backs coach before leaving the club, said: "It's a big mistake to choose Declan Kidney as the new coach.
"The Ireland team badly needed a foreign coach. After the Eddie O'Sullivan era they wanted someone to test these guys, show them a new way to play.
"The Munster people think Kidney is a Messiah but I just don't understand that."
Rubbish
Former Wallabies fly-half Knox has also criticised the standard of Ireland's players, insisting the likes of Ronan O'Gara are nowhere near world-class.
"When Ireland's players come to play at the very highest level, such as a World Cup, they come up short," he insisted.
"I have been here for three years and I have never seen Ronan O'Gara create space for anybody.
"Yet over here he ranks with Dan Carter as the best fly-half in the world. I have never heard such rubbish.
"Munster's record is fantastic but you can't tell me they play anything but 10-man rugby.
"Unfortunately, players can't just switch on style play when they get into the international arena.
"Munster get 30 points on the board by grinding away and when the other team is shot, they try and throw the ball around a bit. Then people say, what a great team. It's rubbish."
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| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wales | 5 | 10 |
| 2 | England | 5 | 6 |
| 3 | France | 5 | 6 |
| 4 | Ireland | 5 | 4 |
| 5 | Scotland | 5 | 2 |
| 6 | Italy | 5 | 2 |
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Comments
Joe O'connell says...
Hey guys an awful lot has been written here about Knox's comments, look up his list of achievements as a coach and give the comments the time and respect they deserve i.e. very little
Posted 01:54 17th May 2008
James Burke says...
I think Knoxs shoud be assamed of himself. Declan Kidney is the ideal man for the Irish job: He has a successful career behind him, He seems to take a step back from the coaching role something that EOS couldnt seem to do in the end and seemed to what to control everything. As for his comments on O Gara prob the best 10 Ireland or munster ever had so how he can attack him I dont know. He is one of the best in the world maybe he should be looking at many of the leinster players whos performances are well below par for Ireland lately. I think kidney will get the best out off the players and the best of out his coaching staff and what more do you want. If he can get the Irish team to play with the heart that munster play with I think he can have a very successful time as Irish coach.
Posted 19:49 16th May 2008
Derek Mcgauley says...
Knox's high opinion of himself is very typical of Randwick Rugby Club in Sydney. Surely Declan Kidney has proved his worth on more than one occasion. I do think though that the IRFU should appoint an all singing and dancing backs coach, somebody who has recent experience of the game regardless of their nationality.
Posted 15:35 15th May 2008
Colin O'connor says...
Firstly, what in hell is Mr Knox talking about? As a Lenister man living here in Eng I applaud Munster and Declan Kidney, even as little as 5 years ago Munster were a bit of a 10 man team, but in today's rugby they are simply majestic, how else could they beat the premiership leaders in their back yard. As for some of Knox's comments I agree (as probably the most dedicated person of irish rugby) I think an International coach and a fresh perspective would have been good for the Irish game, However, and I mean this Declan Kidneys reputation speaks for itself, I say let the man do the job and see what happens, if he succeeds then all you opposing Kidney fans should keep your thoughts to yourself. But if he does not succeed I only hope the IRFU do not allow his spell to continue and look overseas for a fresh perspective, or, help one of the greatest men in Irish rugby to gain his coaching badges and appoint him, who, none other than Mr Woods, hey if Eng can do it maybe we should look at it!! As for O'Gara, ok he may not be the best in the world but I would say he is in the top 5, but maybe he needs to be challenged for his spot, I think Eoin Hickey of Lon Irish or indeed Ian humphries may just do that.....
Posted 13:28 15th May 2008
Stu Mccreadie says...
apart from the sour grapes aspect, which is clear to all, mr knox seems to think that club or provincial rugby in the northern hemisphere acts as a conduit to the national side. he seems to think declan kidney has an obligation while coach of munster to improve the irish national side. this is not the super 14 where some of the franchises seem to just play for fun with no pride and passion. declan kidney provided success for munster by directing them to their strengths and for ireland's sake i hope that he does the same for them. two other good points - after o'gara who is left in the ten jersey and commentators should stop hyping up o'driscoll as the best centre in the world as the guy can't live up to it any more. still a great player but not the best. not any more.
Posted 10:33 15th May 2008
Ross Hendry says...
Hey John, I'm hardly anything close. I'm a Glasgow fan. I don't agree with Knox's scathingness but I do think he has a point about the reliance on the backs. You claim having a strong forward pack when two props can exploit massive gaps in order to go over? That suggests either a) a slip-up in the backline or b) a pack unable to close down in rucks or scrummage. I played tighthead prop for 2 seasons myself, I know that props hardly go over the line easy. I do love this whole 'underachieving Leinster' nonsense. Lose the blinkers Munster fans! European success hardly matters when your domestic season fails to cut the mustard. If anything all this moaning at Knox sounds like bitterness at jealousy of failure to secure a Magners title. Stop being the Liverpool of rugby.
Posted 20:13 14th May 2008
Michael Kelly says...
Knox seems to have a very selective memory! He moans about B O'D not going to France to further his career and learn more yet under his "expert" guidance at Leinster, he has only manager a single solitary try in the Magners League and HC this season! He also slamed Munster's use of Doug Howlett claiming that he has been under utilised and that if he was with Leinster, he would have scored 20 - 30 tries this season ~ NEWSFLASH DAVID, Dougie only arrived in the middle of January!! His scattergun criticism of Kidney and Munster is just a bitter rant which may mean he becomes more well know for his interview than anything he achieved with an underperforming Leinster over the years!! What a tool
Posted 14:31 14th May 2008
Rory Quinlan says...
Before everyone starts having a go at me, I'm a Munster fan. David Knox, although he is being completely out of hand, does have a point with what he is saying. I would agree that the Irish set up would benefit greatly from having a Southern Hemisphere coach on board. This would add some diversity to the way Ireland play and would hopefully pull them out of the doldrums of RWC 2007. But where he got it wrong was to personally attack Declan Kidney. Declan has been a revelation with Munster since he arrived back here. I was part of the group that thought they were wrong to bring him back, but he brought with him a diferent ideal. He could see that with professionalism the forwards oriented game was struggling. So he brought in a more fluid planned attack that utilized the backs more. He also campaigned for more attack minded, even flamboyant, backs to be brought in, but at the same time he did not atempt to destroy the core of great forwards at our disposal. They are a platform upon which our now expansive, flowing game can attack from. It is not the appointment of Declan that saddens me most though, but the fact that Munster are losing such a brilliant coach. Hopefully Jake White wants a stab at club rugby. But Mr. Knox was totally wrong to personalluy attack Declan Kidney as he did and no paper should have printed what was in truth a spiteful article whos only intention was to undermine a new coach even before he has met his new group. P.S. Sean O' Sullivan, Kidney must be a super coach if he can coach Munster to the Henineken Cup in 2006 AND manage Leinster at the same time. Get your facts right before you start ranting.
Posted 14:30 14th May 2008
Jack Coffey says...
what is this idiot talking about.are leinsters brilliant back still in the heineken cup?ah no
Posted 13:56 14th May 2008
Cormac O' neill says...
what is david knox moaning on about!!! as he should any team plays to its strenghts and kidney's record speaks for itself!! i think there's a little bit of jealousy there,
Posted 12:48 14th May 2008
Donal Coman says...
upon reading mr knox's interview im not sure whether all his points are wrong. where he is wrong is that declan kidney wholey deserves the ireland no 1 job. 2 or three years ago i would have agreed as munster were single minded in their approach of beat em till they drop and although very very effective i think international rugby needs bigger ideals. this year though kidney although maybe not coaching hands on, has overseen a awesome turn around in munsters play at the back as well as the front. no other club team in europe in my opinion has such an all round game. mr knox cannot at the same time be called an idiot because leinsters main faults always lie up front and credit him with some excellent backs performances! but i do not defend his attack on o'gara, correct o'gara may not be carter material but his all round game has improved in the past 3 seasons. his decision making, tackling, range of kicking resulting in try's for ireland and munster and his own try scoring have improved.go home mr knox and cool down and take some credit for the leinster backs, keep the gob shut so if you return you mite be employable because no matter what they say you are good at your job,just not at interviews!
Posted 11:50 14th May 2008
Brian M says...
I hear alot of talk about o'gara both positive and negative but he'll be gone in about 2 years and unless Ireland and munster start to develop another 10 both teams will have very limited options. I think he scrapes into top 5 in world at best. Shame on Knox for the public rant. Any valid points that he had (and there were some) seem irrelivent after that. As for the munster supporters, I think SOME of you are blind to the fact that Munster play rugby in a very similar style to England, a style that you are often quick to critisise when it comes to 6 nations etc
Posted 11:19 14th May 2008
Jason Brooks says...
Hey Ross, are you David Knox in disguise??? Another Leinster underachieving, jealous hypocrite.... Open your eyes! Magners League versus Heineken Cup, sorry, European Cup? Check out the European rankings my friend. Where are BOD and the D4 boys? In the hairdressers I reckon!
Posted 08:04 14th May 2008
Ross Hendry says...
See, as a Magners League fan maybe Knox has a point; Irish rugby has a tendency to play with numbers 9-15, as their forwards are woeful as of late. During the World Cup and Six Nations they were bullied off the ball countless times. As for Munster, let the European run go. Your performance against Glasgow, an inconsistent team, was woeful and was capped by nothing more than a try-scoring display by the backs. Glasgow had two props going over.
Posted 00:13 14th May 2008
Sean O'sullivan says...
i havnt heard such an incorrect opinion in all my life firstly declan kidneys's contribution to irish rugby alone merits his selection as coach not to mention his outstanding record and coaching ability. i m not suprised to hear a leinster man critacise o gara to be honest, for years leinster tried to find a world class ten from ireland and finally after 5 out halfs in 5 years you found one from abroadwhile munster had one all along. O' Gara is in the top 3 fly-halfs in the world and has made countless defence splitting passes including one for golden boy o driscoll in this years world cup. he also scores tries like when munster hammered leinster(under the management of kidney) in the semi final in 2006. i dont no if this is sour grapes or southern hemisphere belief they are superior but its totally untrue
Posted 22:44 13th May 2008
David Thompson says...
not taking away from what kidney has done down in munster, but i do think what knox has said is correct i think ireland do need a fresh face and a new way of thinking.
Posted 22:40 13th May 2008
Denis Gleeson says...
Um Munster grind a team down and then throw it around once they have ground down the opposition, thats the basis of any great side surely! No wonder Leinster were so soft in the big games. I cannot believe this fella was a top level coach, O'Gara is not the best at creating space but he can deliever wonderful passes to put players into gaps. Munster no longer play ten man rugby, their game has expnded greatly, sure they are experts at keeping it tight, but they can move the ball superbly these days. Knox sounds like a bitter bitter man to me and has done himself no favours. By showing this level of unprofesionalism many teams will think twice before giving this fella a contract. I take it deccie wont be asking him over for an interview to coach the Ireland backs!
Posted 21:05 13th May 2008
Joe Bloggs says...
It looks like Knox has just exploded after being put out of a job by the IRFU (because he couldn't get Leinster's backs doing the business). It is sad to see someone of his calibre being publically bitter. If Knox had said the ten man rugby thing about Munster over 10 years ago then fair enough maybe but I am pretty sure Toulouse will be doing alot of homework on the Munster backs for the Heineken Cup final. As for the O'Gara comments...putting people is space is his forté. The likes of D'Arcy, O'Driscoll, Murphy, Mafi, Tipoki, Mullins, Kelly, Henderson and Trimble among others would surely agree with me. One thing is for sure though after this outburst, Munster will not be knocking on Knox's door looking for a backs coach for next season!
Posted 20:03 13th May 2008
Peter Sullivan says...
Speaking as a Munster fan its a shame for Knox to be leaving Ireland with comments like this. Maybe he's just jealous, all he ended up with as his years in Leinster is a Magners League title and countless "near misses" in the Heineken Cup. When he wins a proper competition maybe people are going to take him little more seriously. For know ten man Munster have a proper final to take part in. Good ridance to Mr Knox. P.S. Whats Mafi, Howlet and Tipoki been doing all season? Up the jumper rugby? I don't think so.....
Posted 17:48 13th May 2008
James Mcelholm says...
After reading the full article in the Irish Independent it is fair to say that Knox was quite scathing in what he had to say, making some valid points, but also going too far on occasions, detracting from the overall credibility of what he had to say. Personally i agree that the appointment of Kidney could prove to be a mistake. Ireland more than anything need to inject a bit of imagination and flare into the minds of the backs in order for the team to evolve. What we don't need is a continuation of the displays towards the end of the O'sullivan era. I hope i am wrong, but when considering the backs munster now have, and how little of the ball they see, it is difficult to imagine how kidney will utilize the backs that ireland possess. Knox also had some choice words for O'gara, which is strange as O'gara is undoubtedly the golden boy of irish rugby. However, regrettably I have to agree to some extent. O'gara's kicking recently has been awful, in all areas. Very rarely does he create space with smart incisive passes. This is why he can not be considered on the same level as Carter, who is in many people's opinion the best flt half in the world. Don't get me wrong, I love O'gara and still think he is amazing, just hope he has a good day may 24th! GWAN MUNSTER (tyrone man)
Posted 17:28 13th May 2008
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