ThisYearWillBeDifferent wrote: Right, it's official now, so we can start the campaign...
EDDIE FOR MUNSTER!

The M18 to Tuam will be complete before Rassie departs, and sure then Eddie's barely an hour from Limerick.

Right, it's official now, so we can start the campaign...
EDDIE FOR MUNSTER!

Chiefs game on in 10 mins on sky....

The Chiefs game is on again later at 1655 on Sky for all you curious animals!!!!

Bonus point win for the Chiefs away to the Highlanders this morning.

And:

Ruane said that new coach Kieran Keane, who is under contract as assistant coach to the Chiefs until the end of the Superb Rugby season in July or August, will oversee new signings for Connacht in the interim.

“We wouldn’t make too many decisions without consulting him in that regard because you don’t want to go off signing players that ultimately might be at odds with what he would look for in a player in a certain position. We will try to engage him as much as we can.
“He has a job to do with the Chiefs and we have to respect that, but would we like his input in terms of how we plan pre-season and what he would like done? Without a doubt,” said Ruane.

www.the42.ie/connacht-ian-madigan-bordea..._source=twitter_self

josephdaly111 wrote: I wonder is there any chance of getting Strawbridge and Leon MacDonald as assistant coaches? I see that MacDonald is signed on as an assistant with the Crusaders, but I'm sure he would relish the opportunity to work with KK as head coach again

Ruane confirmed that KK won't be joining us til after Super rugby season is over, but that his assistant coaches (presumably Jimmy Duffy and 2 lads he brings in himself, but he didn't say) will all be there at the start of preseason. That would seem to rule out anyone currently on a Super rugby coaching ticket.

I note the current Tasman Makos skills coach is ex-Leinster player Andrew Goodman, who captained Tasman under KK.

I wonder is there any chance of getting Strawbridge and Leon MacDonald as assistant coaches? I see that MacDonald is signed on as an assistant with the Crusaders, but I'm sure he would relish the opportunity to work with KK as head coach again

connachta wrote: Bristol name Conor McPhillips as Assistant Coach ahead of next season. The 36 year old arrives from Connacht to again link up with Pat Lam.

As a very competent young coach it's a good move for Conor to widen his experience, obviously disappointing to lose a guy who's been with us for so long as player and coach.
But he's ambitious and it's the right move, as risk free as there can possibly be in a new environment.

Best of luck to him, nothing to say we won't see him back this way in a few years time in the senior role...

If you're to read into everything that's been reported so far, Andrew Strawbridge would be odds on to get Dave Ellis's old job of skills coach. What an appointment that would be if it happened given how the Chiefs style of attacking rugby.

connachta wrote: Bristol name Conor McPhillips as Assistant Coach ahead of next season. The 36 year old arrives from Connacht to again link up with Pat Lam.

With Keane himself being a backs coach maybe he'll go for a forwards coach, defence coach, and skills coach as his backroom staff?

Bristol name Conor McPhillips as Assistant Coach ahead of next season. The 36 year old arrives from Connacht to again link up with Pat Lam.

Are we going with "KK" or "Keano" ? Or something else?

www.the42.ie/pat-lam-on-kieran-keane-new...oss-3253331-Feb2017/

Confirmation that KK won't be here until end of July at the earliest but his assistants will be in place for pre-season. No word on who they are or whether Conor and Jimmy are being kept on.

Marmion "I spoke to Bundee Aki and he seems very positive about it. He hasn’t worked with him but he has obviously spoken to his mates over there in the Chiefs and he is excited about it as well.”

That's gooood!

At least now we know how we pronounces his name!

This YouTube clip is a few years old but tells us a little more about our new coach.