3 possible replacements for Declan Kidney.

Over the last couple of days I’ve been trying my very best to get some interviews for the blog but unfortunately it’s not going too well. Whether it be rejections from coaches and ex-players or simply that they don’t get back to me, it’s been a task much harder than I had previously envisaged.

That said, I must continue to blog and following my post on Declan Kidney’s future last week, I’ve decided to write about his possible replacements. So up first is…

Conor O’Shea:

Picture belongs to the Guardian

The first candidate Conor O’Shea, is the only Irishman in with a shout for the Ireland job. He is currently the Director of Rugby at Harlequins as well as an RTE pundit. He has impressed during his time at Harlequins, especially after they won the Premiership last year. In terms of this year’s success, Quins are performing well in the Heineken Cup, having won all their games in the group.

As an RTE pundit, O’Shea also demonstrates his knowledge of the game with insightful analysis and is known for his ‘no-nonsense’ approach when talking about the sport. Additionally he was voted the Rugby Director of the year at the age of 32 during his time at London Irish.

Whether he would want the Ireland job is in the balance, though he may not want to leave Harlequins considering their good performances this season. Then again, the IRFU job may be too good to turn down if he is given the chance.

On Paddy Power, O’Shea is currently an outside bet at 16/1.

Ewen McKenzie:

Former Australian Rugby Union prop and current coach of the Queensland Reds, Ewen McKenzie could be a possible replacement for Declan Kidney. After stating his intention to leave the Reds at the end of the season and pursue a slightly different career path he could well be in line to be offered the Ireland job. Whilst many believe he wants to be the Australia head coach, McKenzie has insisted that he doesn’t want to to put pressure on current coach Robbie Deans ahead of the matches against the Lions in June.

In terms of his coaching CV, McKenzie transformed the Reds when he took over in 2009, leading them to 5th place and narrowly missing out on the play-offs. He also led the team to a Super Rugby Grand Final in 2011, beating the Canterbury Crusaders 18-13.

McKenzie hasn’t ruled out a possible move overseas which does throw up the opportunity for him to take over at the helm of Irish rugby. The bookies seem to to think this a big factor and have him as the favourite to be the new Ireland boss at 1/4

Joe Schmidt:

Now this is a candidate who is steeped in accolades following his time at French side Clermont and his ongoing success at Leinster. He won the French Championship before moving to Leinster in 2010 and won back-to-back Heineken cups. The Leinster back line has been particularly impressive since his arrival.

With such a plethora of past achievements to strengthen his case in becoming Ireland Head Coach, Schmidt could well be getting a ring in the coming months. Despite signing a one-year extension with Leinster, he has expressed his desire to return to New Zealand because of family commitments, and this could prove to be a stumbling block for the Ireland hierarchy.

The bookmakers seem to think Schmidt is real possibility for the Ireland job and have him second favourite at 3/1.

There’s three potential replacements, I’ll hopefully have a few more for you to mull over in the coming week.