The sequence went something like this: on Monday 1 May the Irish Independent offered a scoop that Greg McWilliams, the Head Coach, was standing down. We waited for confirmation. Then the IRFU announced that it was in discussions with McWilliams. Finally on 5 May came the confirmation: McWilliams is leaving the show. The rest of the coaching staff, including Niamh Briggs, remains in place. John McKee, brought in from New Zealand as ‘Senior Coach’, takes over on an interim basis.
The search starts for a replacement.
The Independent was none too confident about the board’s success in finding the right person. It was sure they would have to look abroad; it mentioned Anna Richards’ name. Another lone voice offered one Mr S. Middleton, MBE.
Cynical Irish observers doubted if anyone in their right mind would wish to take on the role in the current circumstances. Not only had the team secured nul points in the Six Nations, but they had suffered their poorest ever points differential.
Over the last two years the antagonism between the board and the players reached unparalleled heights. Since Cliodhna Moloney told them exactly what she thought of them, she hasn’t been seen in a green jersey. Instead, she picked up the Player of the Match award for Exeter Chiefs as they won the Allianz Cup in England.
David Nucifora has been in charge of performance ever since 2014, when Ireland achieved a great run to the semi-finals of the World Cup. Either side of that success they had won two Six Nations trophies. They are becoming distant memories now. The rot set in, continuing with the embarrassment of an early exit from Ireland’s own RWC in 2017, and has shown few signs of improvement since.
By a great irony McWilliams was assistant to Philip Doyle in that 2014 triumph.
He did achieve two wins in his first outing in the 2022 Six Nations, but has cut a forlorn figure since. He may well be glad to be out of the firing-line now.
But that leaves the squad who have to suffer the neglect and disdain offered them from above. No player should be placed in that position.
The emphasis has been laid firmly on Sevens in the past few seasons. Indeed the absence of first-choice backs in preparation for the Paris Olympics helps to explain the extreme inexperience of the Irish backs. They have plenty of promise, but not enough old heads around them to act as guides.
Even the pack, which had looked so promising at the start of the season, failed to produce the goods. The Independent puts that down partly to the lack of top-class coaches.
The next stage involves Tier 3 of the WXV. There they are sure to meet either Italy or Spain, depending on the result of a play-off. The men’s team has three summer internationals slated, against Italy, England and Samoa. And the women?
Of all the possible outcomes in the age-old rivalry between the Celtic nations, seeing Ireland trailing in third place had seemed to me the least likely.
