The U20s are a good springboard, but realistically not for a tilt at the senior job. * He will be highly motivated to succeed - every ambitious coach in and about the Irish system will want to lay down a marker over the next 3 years to put themselves in a position to land the Ireland job if Farrell moves on after the next WC. (Not saying that Ulster should be relying on Leinster, but it’s just a fact of life that things the way they are Leinster’s output is disproportionate, and IMO interpro switches will be more common, and more important) Having a Leinsterman at the helm, never mind one who will know all of the Leinster players and in particular the young ones well, may not be a complete game changer in terms of making Ulster a more attractive destination, but it can’t harm. There have been a couple of interpro moves, but really very few, and the status quo isn’t sustainable. With things the way they are atm, a big part of this means how to ensure international players arent 3 deep at Leinster, failing to make squads for big games, while other provinces are losing matches because of lack of quality in the same position. * He’s a Dub (or more precisely a Wicklow man) - I think over the next couple of years a big strategic issue that the IRFU will have to struggle with is the appropriate way to optimise player resources across the provinces. * Expertise in age grade development - all 4 provinces will be making do with slimmer senior squads and so ability to bring through academy talent will be key, and his knowledge of the age grade scene and experience developing players could be a great asset. * Expertise in skills & kicking - should enable Ulster to dispense with at least one other assistant coach, and he should do a much better job… particularly important if we are going to be more reliant on Flannery and maybe Doak / Lowry at 10 The last couple of teams he has coached have been a joy to watch, drills are very tight, tactics on point and play some great rugby into the bargain. * Highly successful tenure in charge of the 20s - going for third successive grand slam, in an era where the French are taking pathway and age grade seriously, is outstanding. ![]() He will know what a high-performing culture looks like. Admittedly mostly under Schmidt, whose reputation suffered a bit on his way out of Ireland, but who nevertheless was extremely effective for Leinster and Ireland for a long time. * Extensive experience in elite high-performance environments, namely Leinster and Ireland. The more I think about Murphy the more I like the fit - pros:
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