Your Cookies. Your Choice.
Cookies help provide our news service while also enabling the advertising needed to fund this work. We categorise cookies as Necessary, Performance (used to analyse the site performance) and Targeting (used to target advertising which helps us keep this service free).We and our vendors process data for the following purposes:
Use precise geolocation data. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Store and/or access information on a device. Personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services development.
Cookies Preference Centre
Manage Consent Preferences
Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then these services may not function properly.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we will not be able to monitor our performance.
Store and/or access information on a device 110 partners can use this purpose
Cookies, device or similar online identifiers (e.g. login-based identifiers, randomly assigned identifiers, network based identifiers) together with other information (e.g. browser type and information, language, screen size, supported technologies etc.) can be stored or read on your device to recognise it each time it connects to an app or to a website, for one or several of the purposes presented here.
Personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services development 143 partners can use this purpose
Use limited data to select advertising 113 partners can use this purpose
Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for example, to limit the number of times an ad is presented to you).
Create profiles for personalised advertising 83 partners can use this purpose
Information about your activity on this service (such as forms you submit, content you look at) can be stored and combined with other information about you (for example, information from your previous activity on this service and other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or improve a profile about you (that might include possible interests and personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to present advertising that appears more relevant based on your possible interests by this and other entities.
Use profiles to select personalised advertising 83 partners can use this purpose
Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on your advertising profiles, which can reflect your activity on this service or other websites or apps (like the forms you submit, content you look at), possible interests and personal aspects.
Create profiles to personalise content 39 partners can use this purpose
Information about your activity on this service (for instance, forms you submit, non-advertising content you look at) can be stored and combined with other information about you (such as your previous activity on this service or other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or improve a profile about you (which might for example include possible interests and personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to present content that appears more relevant based on your possible interests, such as by adapting the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find content that matches your interests.
Use profiles to select personalised content 35 partners can use this purpose
Content presented to you on this service can be based on your content personalisation profiles, which can reflect your activity on this or other services (for instance, the forms you submit, content you look at), possible interests and personal aspects. This can for example be used to adapt the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find (non-advertising) content that matches your interests.
Measure advertising performance 134 partners can use this purpose
Information regarding which advertising is presented to you and how you interact with it can be used to determine how well an advert has worked for you or other users and whether the goals of the advertising were reached. For instance, whether you saw an ad, whether you clicked on it, whether it led you to buy a product or visit a website, etc. This is very helpful to understand the relevance of advertising campaigns.
Measure content performance 61 partners can use this purpose
Information regarding which content is presented to you and how you interact with it can be used to determine whether the (non-advertising) content e.g. reached its intended audience and matched your interests. For instance, whether you read an article, watch a video, listen to a podcast or look at a product description, how long you spent on this service and the web pages you visit etc. This is very helpful to understand the relevance of (non-advertising) content that is shown to you.
Understand audiences through statistics or combinations of data from different sources 74 partners can use this purpose
Reports can be generated based on the combination of data sets (like user profiles, statistics, market research, analytics data) regarding your interactions and those of other users with advertising or (non-advertising) content to identify common characteristics (for instance, to determine which target audiences are more receptive to an ad campaign or to certain contents).
Develop and improve services 83 partners can use this purpose
Information about your activity on this service, such as your interaction with ads or content, can be very helpful to improve products and services and to build new products and services based on user interactions, the type of audience, etc. This specific purpose does not include the development or improvement of user profiles and identifiers.
Use limited data to select content 37 partners can use this purpose
Content presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type, or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for example, to limit the number of times a video or an article is presented to you).
Use precise geolocation data 46 partners can use this special feature
With your acceptance, your precise location (within a radius of less than 500 metres) may be used in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
Actively scan device characteristics for identification 27 partners can use this special feature
With your acceptance, certain characteristics specific to your device might be requested and used to distinguish it from other devices (such as the installed fonts or plugins, the resolution of your screen) in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
Ensure security, prevent and detect fraud, and fix errors 92 partners can use this special purpose
Your data can be used to monitor for and prevent unusual and possibly fraudulent activity (for example, regarding advertising, ad clicks by bots), and ensure systems and processes work properly and securely. It can also be used to correct any problems you, the publisher or the advertiser may encounter in the delivery of content and ads and in your interaction with them.
Deliver and present advertising and content 99 partners can use this special purpose
Certain information (like an IP address or device capabilities) is used to ensure the technical compatibility of the content or advertising, and to facilitate the transmission of the content or ad to your device.
Match and combine data from other data sources 72 partners can use this feature
Information about your activity on this service may be matched and combined with other information relating to you and originating from various sources (for instance your activity on a separate online service, your use of a loyalty card in-store, or your answers to a survey), in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
Link different devices 53 partners can use this feature
In support of the purposes explained in this notice, your device might be considered as likely linked to other devices that belong to you or your household (for instance because you are logged in to the same service on both your phone and your computer, or because you may use the same Internet connection on both devices).
Identify devices based on information transmitted automatically 88 partners can use this feature
Your device might be distinguished from other devices based on information it automatically sends when accessing the Internet (for instance, the IP address of your Internet connection or the type of browser you are using) in support of the purposes exposed in this notice.
Save and communicate privacy choices 69 partners can use this special purpose
The choices you make regarding the purposes and entities listed in this notice are saved and made available to those entities in the form of digital signals (such as a string of characters). This is necessary in order to enable both this service and those entities to respect such choices.
Cookie List
Influx of Kiwis to the provinces but where are the Irish coaches?
Reproduced with permission from Setanta Sports
ROB PENNEY IS the latest Kiwi to land the head coach job at an Irish province, meaning that three out of the four Irish provinces are now presided over by New Zealanders.
What does this say about the standard of coaches in Ireland, if anything?
Let us examine each province individually as circumstances differ greatly depending on your location.
Joe Schmidt has been an unequivocal success at Leinster, marrying a highly-intelligent and exciting brand of rugby with a winning mentality. There is no questioning his appointment, even from a purely Irish perspective, as he is doing as much to develop young Irish talent as anyone.
Schmidt is 80 minutes away from his second Heineken Cup in two years and his stock is most definitely on the rise. The challenge for Leinster will be holding onto him when others come calling. And they will come calling, you can be sure of that.
The Ulster scenario is less straight forward as an Irish coach has been effectively demoted to make way for Mark Anscombe. It is important to clarify here that the best man for the job should be awarded the role, regardless of their nationality. However, Brian McLaughlin has just led Ulster to the Heineken Cup final and has developed them into a very serious outfit.
David Humphries is a bright man who is very serious about progressing Ulster Rugby and he obviously feels that Mark Anscombe is the man to do just that. Nevertheless, you can’t help but be confused and slightly frustrated by this as here is an Irish coach performing his job incredibly well. Ulster have improved immeasurably over the last season, particularly in the Heineken Cup, making McLaughlin’s demotion all the more bizarre.
Anscombe has pedigree in developing youth talent and also as a technical forwards coach; these were obviously boxes that Humphries and co were looking to tick. His record with the All Blacks Under-20s is impressive but his ITM Cup record with Auckland (youth team) is less so, finishing fifth in 2009, fourth in 2010 and fifth again in 2011.
Anscombe may well turn out to be a shrewd appointment but shouldn’t McLaughlin have been given a chance given the upward curve the province are on under his guidance? I think so.
Power vacuum
The departure of Tony McGahan from Munster left a void many presumed would be filled by Anthony Foley. The former Ireland number eight seemed a natural choice in many respects, given his technical prowess, allegiances to the province and the values they stand for. Indeed, Munster have tended to promote from within in past circumstances.
The common perception is that Foley will take up the mantle at some point and was potentially even offered it already. There is, of course, a distinct possibility that Foley will replace Rob Penney at the culmination of his relatively short two-year contract.
And what of Rob Penney? His background is similar to Anscombe’s in that he is a Kiwi who has experience is developing young talent and is a forwards coach by trade. This latter trait is a little bit curious given that Munster have a very capable forwards coach already in situ in Foley.
In truth Anthony Foley is possibly the most promising prospect in Irish coaching, given his astuteness in regards to the game. Foley was a supremely intelligent player and has already acquitted himself extremely well on the coaching front at both Munster and Ireland. He is also a forwards specialist, which is hugely promising. Ireland don’t produce enough specialist coaches and even Declan Kidney could be classed as a manager in many respects, who brings in top quality coaches around him.
Edinburgh head coach Michael Bradley. Pic: INPHO/Ryan Byrne
Looking further afield for Irish coaches, there are two who spring to mind immediately; Michael Bradley and Conor O’Shea.
Bradley’s star is currently on the rise, having guided Edinburgh to the semi final of the Heineken Cup, dismissing Toulouse along the way. The former Connacht coach is being heralded as the next Irish head honcho in some quarters but he would surely need to achieve something a bit more tangible before that happens?
Edinburgh’s form in the Rabo Direct Pro 12 this year has been awful, finishing second from bottom and three places below Connacht. This needs to be taken into account also. Although Bradley is doing some great things, I certainly wouldn’t be rushing into handing him the Irish job any time soon.
Conor O’Shea is another who is making good strides as his Harlequins side have topped the Premiership table this season. Play-offs are still to come of course but even finishing top is an achievement in itself. O’Shea is another who will be right in the mix for the Irish head job in years to come and rightly so.
To conclude, it is no harm having a foreign coach in charge of a province or indeed Ireland, if they are the right man for the job. However, there are very decent Irish coaches out there and they shouldn’t be overlooked.
Twitter: @TomFoxy
Read more at Setanta Sports
Kicking on: Ruddock names squad for Junior World Championships
Munster expect O’Connell to miss 4-6 weeks
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Aviva Stadium Black on GReen Brian McLaughlin European Rugby Champions Cup Editor's picks HCup Home thoughts IRFU Irish Rugby Opinion Rugby Setanta Ulster