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From paddy power - the odds on the next head coach complete with an amusing critic - am guessing the same odds would apply for the position of English Coach:
« When Bookies get Bored!
One F’s Next Irish Coach Form Guide
Jump safely now.
If the betting market for the Ireland Coach’s job were a Grand National field, the Handicapper would be shot. Never in my life have I seen such a bunch of no-hopers and badly priced contender(s) at the head of a betting market. Just looking at the runners/riders and the way they have been priced is making me queasy. Consider this a betting preview: Let’s call it the real story or alternatively, There Is Only One F in Form
3/1 Declan Kidney “Crazed odds for a bloke the IRFU is so paranoid about they practically keep a Stazi-type file on (informers, spies and all kinds of accusatory notes!) him.”
4/1 Pat Howard “Moved away from the Northern Hemisphere and Leicester Tigers last year to bring up his young children in Australia. Would he return less than a year later?”
9/2 Wayne Smith “Simple choice here. Would he prefer be All Black Assistant and therefore in line to be next AB Coach or Ireland Coach?”
5/1 Mike Ruddock “Not a snowball’s hope in Hell; 150/1 wouldn’t do him justice. Not one Wales player has ever credited him for the 2005 Wales Grand Slam, rather they credited NZ’ers Steve Hansen/Glenn Johnson.
8/1 Jake White “He once said in 2004 there were no Irish players good enough to play for South Africa, how would he explain that away?; wants England job; would cost 750k.”
8/1 Alan Gaffney “What age is Alan Gaffney? 67-ish. Would the IRFU appoint a Head Coach that age? No.”
12/1 Ian McGeechan “Who on earth dreamed this up? Has slagged off Ireland and it’s rugby and Munster and Leinster for years. The IRFU would rather choke.
16/1 Brian Smith “No chance. Laughed himself to death when conning Ireland into capping him; has been almost anti-Irish at London Irish. No English silverware and One Heineken Cup campaign’s experience to date.
16/1 Heyneke Meyer “44 years of age and reigning Super-14 champion coach; currently unemployed after getting in a strop with SARFU over the Springbok job; has said he’ll never coach again in SA. Contender.
16/1 John Connolly “Hmmm, maybe. That is if enough people have forgotten he promised to take the Munster job in 1997 and reneged a few days before the first H Cup match.”
20/1 John Mitchell “Has everyone forgotten he went barmy during the 2003 World Cup when he was the All Blacks coach? Weird press conferences, scuffles on hotel steps, accusations…”
20/1 Michael Cheika “Nice guy but…not near enough top grade experience until arrival at Leinster. First H Cup season – semi-final; 2nd H Cup season – quarter-final; 3rd H Cup season – failed to make it from Pool. There is a year-on-year problem there.
20/1 Michael Bradley “No Heineken Cup experience whatsoever. The IRFU didn’t trust him enough to let him pick the Ireland ‘A’ team this season and got EOS to pick it for him.”
20/1 Mike Ford “Has never coached a Rugby Union side.”
20/1 Niall O’Donovan “Interesting in that he could be given the Summer Tour. If he did well there it would be a bet. 20/1 is a bit short though.
20/1 Vern Cotter “Why on earth would the IRFU pick the Clermont Auvergne coach ahead of the Munster coach? Desist!
22/1 David Nucifora “Top Super-14 coach with Auckland Blues. Good bet, all-right price, good chance if interested.”
33/1 Shaun Edwards “Good bet good chance if he decides Ireland boss job is better than No2 at Wales or England.”
33/1 Nick Mallet “Once lead the Springboks to 17 consecutive victories. Again, reasonable odds if you felt he would leave Italy.
40/1 Bernard Laporte “Bernard’s in politic now with Sarkozy. Hardly likely to leave that neighbourhood so quickly.”
50/1 Matt Williams “Good value at around 1,000/1 following his record as an international coach with Scotland.
200/1 George Hook “Would talk a good game but the money would go in bookies pocket.”
Here are some guys you actually need to take into account, the other top Super-14 coaches Colin Cooper (Hurricanes), Laurie Fisher (Brumbies), Ewan McKenzie (Waratahs), Dirk Muir (Sharks), Ian Foster (Chiefs)…
And just to make another point, Canada have just appointed an NZ ‘Resource Coach’, Kieran Crowley. He is All Black U21 (i.e. World Champions) coach and his CV was probably good enough for us. He would never, ever have appeared in the betting.
Good luck!
Recommendation: At the moment don’t back anything under 16/1, Kidney will most likely ease in the betting anyway; try Meyer or Nucifora.