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Interested: Reds head coach Ewen McKenzie. INPHO/Photosport/Rob Jefferies

Ewen McKenzie 'interested' in taking over Ireland rugby job

The Aussie says there has been no contact from the IRFU.

HE’S ONE OF the favourites to fill Declan Kidney’s shoes and Ewen McKenzie says he’d be in interested in coaching Ireland’s rugby stars.

With Vern Cotter this morning ruling himself out of the running and Conor O’Shea insisting he was not about to leave Harlequins, McKenzie is the frontrunner in a narrowing field of potential candidates.

The former Australia prop — who has stated he wants to coach the Wallabies – told Sydney’s Daily Telegraph he had not been in contact with the IRFU. But he left them in no doubt that he’d be interested in a call from D4.

“I have said I am looking for coaching challenges at the next level and I am looking for whatever the possibilities are,” McKenzie said. “It’s the type of job I am interested in looking at but there have been no discussions.

“I have stated I would like the Wallabies job but it’s all in the timing. You have to look around what’s available when you’re looking for a job. I have made it clear the challenge of coaching at that level is what interests me but there aren’t many opportunities at Test level and you can’t control the timing.”

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13 Comments
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    Mute Paraic Cannon
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    Apr 4th 2013, 1:29 PM

    he could be easily posturing to the AFU, hes stated the wallabies job is the one he wants

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    Mute Itiswhatitis
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    Apr 4th 2013, 1:08 PM

    Has the man got what it takes?

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    Mute Nelly
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    Apr 4th 2013, 1:43 PM

    Just cos he wants the Aussie job doesn’t mean he’ll get it or good enough for it.hes cute puttin himself out there

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    Mute ThomasFrancisMeagher
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    Apr 4th 2013, 6:49 PM

    Give it to Jimmy McGuinness. & we’ll get a new song to replace “Ireland’s Call” for free.

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    Mute Philip Ryan
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    Apr 4th 2013, 1:25 PM

    seeing as schmit and o’shea dont have the balls too take on a top job we may settle on him.

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    Mute TheHeathen
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    Apr 4th 2013, 1:31 PM

    I’d go with Schmidt and O’Shea have the brains not to take the job.
    I’d say they’d be happy to take it in a few years when the heads of the IRFU become professional and learn to keep their noses out of the team management.

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    Mute Chris Mcdonnell
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    Apr 4th 2013, 1:49 PM

    Schmit has to deal with the irfu all the time so he knows what he’d be letting himself in for.
    He’s not too impressed with them either.
    He’s still pissed off about losing
    he hates the player management thing.
    Losing sexton because of money can’t help.
    Been told where to play Sean o Brien.
    This one player per position
    The non renew of over seas players past another year.
    The list is endless

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    Mute Marty Borgnine
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    Apr 4th 2013, 2:01 PM

    The way that paragraph is written almost looks like lyrics to one of your band’s songs Chris:-).

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    Mute Stephen Nolan
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    Apr 4th 2013, 5:25 PM

    Schmidt wants to go home when his son finishes his education here, where does bottle come into it, what a childish comment, you must be a soccer fan!

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    Mute Conchubhair MacLochlainn
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    Apr 4th 2013, 4:11 PM

    What’s interesting is that even if he takes the Wallabies gig, Robbie Deans enters the marketplace. With international experience to boot.

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    Mute Alan Grouse
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    Apr 5th 2013, 5:27 AM

    The irfu would do well to avoid deans like the plague. He was a fantastic provincial coach but has been poor for the wallabies.

    Alienating many of the older players, failing at the wc, still without a bledisloe and still not no1 in the world. He has been a complete failure and its only the incompetence and politics within the aru that he is still there.

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    Mute Ian
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    Apr 4th 2013, 3:40 PM

    No one has been offered the job, this isn’t soccer.

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    Mute Brendan Moran
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    Apr 5th 2013, 12:17 AM

    Former Ospreys head coach Sean Holley – it as to be this Messiah.
    This is why he turned down the Connaught job.
    Now he might to refuse the Irish position if the Aussie job became vacant – understandable.
    He might then have to renege on the Aussie head coach if the All Blacks came calling for him, which they could do – really.

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