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Mike Catt's appointment as Andy Farrell's Ireland assistant has not gone down well with Irish fans
The weekend confirmation that Italy attack coach Mike Catt will join Andy Farrell’s Ireland coaching team after this year’s World Cup has not gone down too well with fans on social media.
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The World Cup winner and England attack backs coach between 2012 and 2015 has served under Conor O’Shea with Italy since 2016, but is set to be part of the new Irish era after Joe Schmidt impending departure.
Catt’s appointment means that the entire ensemble of coaches from England’s dismal home World Cup in 2015 will be coaching in Ireland next year.
Farrell and Catt will be with the national team, Graham Rowntree is joining Munster as part of their coaching team after the World Cup, and Stuart Lancaster has been a pivotal member of Leinster’s backroom staff since 2016.
This sizeable English contingent in Ireland has left some fans questioning the resources and coaching set-up in Ireland currently. Of the four provinces, Leo Cullen is the only Irish head coach and the Irish Rugby Football Union has been criticised for failing to create a pathway for domestic coaches.
The Catt is out of the bag in Ireland https://t.co/Njbuoakjos
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) June 23, 2019
Of course, there is nothing wrong with having foreign coaches in charge of a national team. Ireland have had great success with Schmidt, as have Wales with Warren Gatland and England with Eddie Jones.
However, what fans are concerned about is Catt’s credentials and whether this appointment in Dublin is a case of recycling old coaches.
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Catt’s tenure with England did not end too well and some feel his indifferent time with Italy does not warrant this calling. However, rather than look for a new and emerging coach, the IRFU went for an option who has already worked with Farrell. This is what has been said:
Massive endorsement of the IRFU coaching pathway!
— Niall Moran (@nylomoran) June 22, 2019
https://twitter.com/mosstradamouse/status/1142181487640481792?s=20
https://twitter.com/petertherebel/status/1142447157791854593?s=20
https://twitter.com/Wall82Jonathan/status/1142165479194288128?s=20
The first rugby care home, how sweet.
— Mike Richards (@MCR_Author) June 22, 2019
I wonder … a lot of serious Irish talent in the provinces , especially Connacht – hopefully given a chance in the next few years
— Noelie (@noeliehoward) June 21, 2019
2023 outside bet on Irish coaching ticket.?
— ger (@gerardbarry27) June 21, 2019
Interesting. Completes the full set of England 2015 coaches being in Ireland. Not 100% sure how good a choice he'll be, but then I said that about Farrell. https://t.co/51lyoE9A97
— Thomas Moroney (@tmoroney4697) June 21, 2019
Same old faces getting a different gig and we wonder why the games gone sterile.
— Social Disorder (@Manco902) June 22, 2019
https://www.instagram.com/p/BzIm3N7gAmr/
Of course, Catt would have learned a lot during his time with England and Italy and may be able to provide a lot to Ireland. There is no denying that he was hugely respected player and a great tactician which usually translates well into the world of coaching.
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However, it is more what this appointment represents that fans are not happy about, as the coaching positions in Ireland continue to be outsourced – primarily to Englishmen – rather than from within.
WATCH: Episode four of the RugbyPass Rugby Explorer series where Jim Hamilton visits Italy, the country Ireland have recruited Mike Catt from
Comments on RugbyPass
Ben Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
7 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
7 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
7 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
14 Go to comments