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Hurricanes boss Jason Holland responds to speculation over Munster job
Hurricanes head coach Jason Holland has shunned suggestions that he will look to apply for the vacant Munster job over the coming months.
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The role of Munster head coach will soon become available after it was announced in December that incumbent boss Johann van Graan will join Premiership club Bath at the end of the current season.
No replacement has yet been confirmed by the Limerick-based club, and Holland has moved to distance himself from speculation that he will throw hit hat into the ring to become Van Graan’s successor.
The 49-year-old made over 100 appearances for Munster as a player between 1999 and 2008, during which time he won two Champions Cups and a Celtic League, before becoming an assistant coach at the club from 2008 and 2012.
However, Holland said on Friday that he has no intention to return to Ireland in the foreseeable future after signing a two-year contract extension with the Hurricanes late last year.
“Munster’s a place I love, and I’ve got massive, fond memories about the place, but it’s not something that’s on my agenda at the moment,” he said.
“We need to win some trophies at the Canes and I love the Canes, so maybe in a few years’ time, but not at the moment.”
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Holland’s comments come days after Crusaders head coach Scott Robertson was posed the same question during an appearance on the Irish Examiner Six Nations Videocast.
Robertson, who is signed with the Crusaders until at least 2023 and is expected to succeed Ian Foster as All Blacks head coach after next year’s World Cup, said the timing isn’t right for a move to Europe.
However, the five-time Super Rugby and Super Rugby Aotearoa-winning coach didn’t rule out the possibility of coaching in the northern hemisphere later in the future.
“The timing’s not right,” Robertson said about the prospect of signing with Munster.
“I’ve got a couple more years down here in New Zealand. I’d love to but I’ve got three young boys, the youngest is 13, so we’re just trying to make sure that we give them every opportunity to grow up in New Zealand.
“And opportunity as coaches, it’s not very often you get to choose where you want to go and what you want to be or what club but fortunately I’ve coached a team that I’ve played for and am really passionate about with the Crusaders.
“I played for them for eight years and I’m six years coaching them and that’s unique. You look anywhere, hardly anyone gets to do that.
“But I’m also ambitious. I want to change how people think about coaching, how they do coach and to do that I’ll have to go to the northern hemisphere and get out of my comfort zone and understand how I can add to the current culture there.
“It would want to be after the World Cup, see what happens here with the All Blacks, you know, do I coach another club or do I coach a country?”
Comments on RugbyPass
The Black Ferns 7’s have been without Captain Sarah Hirini now since Dec 23 in Dubai where she suffered a bad ACL injury - hopefully she is on the road to recovery for Madrid and Paris. Now also have Tyler King and Shiray kaka on the Injured List but the Team still found a way to win in Singapore and claim the overall Title.
1 Go to commentsUtter grub, hope he gets his leg broken. Shocking he is still playing after intentionally breaking quinn tupaeas knee
2 Go to commentsGreat to see NZ 7s teams finally coming into form and playing at the level that is expected of them.
2 Go to commentsChief Cheapshot on the market again.
2 Go to commentsCrusaders went all in to buy Hotham and Kemara staight from Hamilton Boys. Then they picked up Reihana and Hohepa; all have been dropped for superstar Havili, who is a very good fullback, that’s it. Ennor and Goodhue were schoolboy stars too but went backwards at the Crusaders. Maybe they have finally decided to give another poach Levi Aumua the ball?
10 Go to commentsJoe S has some talent to pick from. The Reds loosies look the best in Super? Aus might just give Razor a headache this year. Int. experience v Cantab greenhorn:) Should be fun.
10 Go to commentsEnd to end play, “THE FANS” this game was entertainment of the best. The conditions added to the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsSorry to say, but sadly the sadas were just ordinary and havilli at 10 as an abs selection just won’t cut it. He’s better suited in the centre’s and is a victim of past charge down kicks, he’s too slow under pressure. There’s better talent further north and I don’t mean dmac however I believe razor will sort him out. A feature of his presents on the park is the fact that the guys will follow him.
10 Go to commentsMarler was brilliant throughout both in the scrum and open play. His slap made virtually no contact with Ramos who milked it for a penalty when he could have been a decent sportsman and laughed it off, it was non-violent and shouldn't have been penalised. Smith failed repeatedly to kick when necessary and put up a couple of bombs into the TLS 22 that just handed back possession at key moments to the other side.
3 Go to commentsCros was outstanding and rightly awarded France TVs player of the match award. Mallia was brilliant as usual (the y is below the 6 on a UK keyboard and he deserves better than that). Level also seems to have been scored harshly as he walked the ball into touch under pressure from a Lynagh kick from well outside his own half which should never have led to a 50-22. Agree with BullShark that Dupont, while class at times, seemed to go missing for patches in the second half with props, hookers and wings frequently filling in at 9 as he couldn't get off the deck and up to the next ruck on time. A 7 by his standards at best, his kicking was also too long, too often. Kinghorn's overall contribution was worth well more than a five.
3 Go to commentsThe Harlequins team must be in minus figures. Did the reporter actually watch the game?
3 Go to commentsHow on earth did Walker escape a red card? Not dangerous? Dupont has his face in a mask earlier this season. Shocking decision. What is the point of TMOs? We had the Fassi ‘non-penalty try’ yesterday and now this.
2 Go to commentsCould have been a different result but yet again French tv able to affect the result by not showing the very clear high shot on harlequin centre if this would have been on a French player would have been on screen at least five times
3 Go to commentsAmazing. The losing team’s ratings are higher than the winning team’s. Mallia definitely didn’t deserve a y. What game were you watching? Should have got a w or an x. ADP hardly featured in that second half. At one point I wondered when he’d been subbed. Seems to me as if he gets an automatic 9 just for getting onto the team sheet.
3 Go to commentsI’m sorry. That second half was far from enthralling. It was painful to watch.
2 Go to commentsVery generous! If you’d missed the game, reading this you’d conclude that it was the Quins front row that cost them the game. Marler getting a blanket 6 for his demented contribution to the game. Puzzling.
3 Go to commentsCan’t see Toulouse beating Leinster at this rate.
7 Go to commentsADP was having a very average game until winning that penalty for Toulouse, sticking his big head in the way. “The head of God”?
7 Go to commentsHarlequins doing their best to do as little damage as possible with all the possession. Looks like they skipped catch and pass drills this week.
7 Go to commentsSeeing pictures of Jacques high-fiving it with Irish players breaks my heart. Too soon. I need more time.
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