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Young is fans' favourite to replace axed Mulvihill at Cardiff
Dai Young has emerged as the most popular candidate to replace John Mulvihill at Cardiff Blues after the Australian departed from the Guinness PRO14 region with immediate effect this week. Cardiff have lost 60 per cent of their games in the PRO14 this season and their 17-3 New Year’s Day loss at home to the Ospreys was the decisive result that spelt the premature end to Mulvihill’s three-year contract.
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Since then, Young’s name has frequently appeared online among the list of possible successors which would see him return to Cardiff for a second spell in charge having left in 2011.
The former Cardiff, Wales and British and Irish Lions prop spent the majority of the past decade at Wasps, but he severed ties with the club last year. However, he isn’t the only candidate that is being suggested online.
Rob Howley has also been highlighted by fans as another possibility, as have former Scarlets forwards coach Ioan Cunningham and Welsh legend Gethin Jenkins in some capacity. With that said, Young still appears to be the most popular choice.
Former Wales scrum-half Dwayne Peel has already been recruited from Ulster ahead of next season to work as senior assistant coach responsible for the attack. The possibility of Young and Peel working in tandem as director of rugby and head coach also looks to be a popular option.
Reports emerging of upheaval at the Blues #GuinnessPRO14
https://t.co/XlpBrcyWri— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 5, 2021
Young spent eight years with Cardiff from 2003, winning the European Challenge Cup in 2010 and the Anglo-Welsh Cup in 2009. They were also runners-up in the Celtic League in 2007 and 2008 and were within a penalty shootout of reaching the 2009 Heineken Cup final.
Given his history with the region, many hope he will be given the chance to replicate the success he had in his first tenure.
Dai would be great and with Peel coming who is obviously doing a fantastic job and a seemingly great young coach, why not? Need to find a quality energizing defence coach and makings of a good team. That might just work!
— Jason Hewlett (@JasonHewlett14) January 5, 2021
The @cardiff_blues have got to look at bringing in @DaiYoungRugby. Together with @Peely9wales they would be a great combination for the region.
— Ken Bowen (@kenbowen10) January 5, 2021
Dai Young and Peel? On paper it seems like a great combination. I’m not sure Young would go back tho
— Martin Jenkins (@MartinJenkins33) January 5, 2021
Given our form I’d put money on either Peel bumps up to the big job and coaches carry on underneath, or Dai Young, Or Gethin, or Howley.. It is usually someone who once parked their car at CAP or knows someone who has.
— Julie Owen Moylan (@JulieOwenMoylan) January 5, 2021
Dai Young as director of rugby for the region, with Peel underneath as head coach?
— Brennig Hayden (@BrennigHayden) January 5, 2021
Could the prodigal son return to the arms park??? Dai Young???
— Matthew J Williams (@mjwilliamsbrand) January 5, 2021
Although hate hearing about someone losing their job but something had to give. Hopefully the region can regroup and get things in place for next season. Dare I say it… Dai Young?
— Brennig Hayden (@BrennigHayden) January 5, 2021
DOR : Dai Young
Forwards : Ioan Cunningham
Backs : Dwayne Peel
Defence: Gethin JenkinsYou’re welcome.
ADVERTISEMENT— Edward Jenkins (@edjenx) January 5, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
Bold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
1 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
8 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
55 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
8 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
61 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
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