IAN COSTELLO FEELS Chris Boyd can be an “invaluable” asset for Munster after joining the province as a performance consultant for the coming months.
Costello, Munster’s Head of Operations who is also serving as Interim Head Coach since the departure of Graham Rowntree in October, explained how Boyd’s role will look alongside the ongoing head coach recruitment process.
Boyd was in charge of Super Rugby side the Hurricanes from 2015 until 2018 and was Northampton Saints’ Director of Rugby from 2018 until 2022.
“At the moment he’s over here for the next couple of months through the busy period to the end of January, and then the season obviously gets quite disjointed after that. So that’s the phase that we’ve locked in,” Costello explained.
“Working with the IRFU and looking at what we need in terms of support over a period of time, Chris was identified as somebody that could add that performance support.
“I spent a week with Chris in New Zealand a couple of years ago in the Hurricanes and I would have come across him regularly with Northampton and a couple of my close friends work with them. So in terms of somebody who has, I suppose so much credibility and experience in the coaching and then in particularly now the consultancy space, we felt that would work really well for us while obviously we’re going through the process of looking for a head coach.
His philosophy on how to play the game, his approach to coaching, what he’s done in terms of mentoring people in Northampton and probably aligning a club around a vision, just that level of support, I think would be invaluable for us.”
Munster are in Champions Cup action this weekend with a home game against Stade Francais. The province have all their Ireland internationals back in the building, and are hoping to have all six – Tadhg Beirne, Craig Casey, Jack Crowley, Conor Murray, Calvin Nash and Peter O’Mahony – available for selection.
“Waiting on one (to be passed fit), but without getting into that, they are all available as in there’s nobody being restricted from playing by the IRFU, etc.”
Nick Winkelman, the IRFU’s Head of Athletic Performance & Science, is currently assisting the province’s S&C staff, with Munster’s Head of Athletic Performance, Ged McNamara, absent on personal leave.
And Munster are hoping to welcome key squad members back over the coming weeks. Costello added that lock Jean Kleyn is “not too far away”, while they are taking a cautious approach with Edwin Edogbo, who has been sidelined since last December. Edogbo suffered an Achilles injury last December, having previously injured his other Achilles.
“We were hoping back by the end of the year of the year,” Costello said of Edogbo.
“He’s not had anything specific in terms of setback, but it’s a slow injury. There was no event if you know what I mean? I think the key thing with Edwin is he’s coming back off two Achilles, we have to get it right. He has such a future, if we get it right, and he’s so important to us that I think everybody rightly is saying we’ve got to do this conservatively but do it right.”
Summer signing Diarmuid Kilgallen is also unavailable due to a wrist injury.
“Diarmuid did a scaphoid injury. He fell and he doesn’t know where it happened even. Nobody knows how Diarmuid got injured. He just woke up in the morning and said this feels a bit sore, and a scaphoid injury sometimes can be from a fall, he couldn’t even pinpoint an event. He’s just been really unlucky.
“He’d had a hamstring injury earlier, and we’re always looking at how we keep people healthy and on the pitch and that’s what I’m saying, that Adam Sheehan [S&C coach] and Gordon Brett [Athletic Performance Return to Play] who are co-leading at the moment around their AP [athletic performance] and then Nick Winkelman who is down from the IRFU, they’re doing a great job of managing all that load.”
Boxing might not he in the next Olympics because of the corruption at its core and issues between the IOC and the IBA.. and on this showing it doesn’t deserve to be.
Shocking stuff again.
@Mark Carolan: have to agree. Though we have a good record in the sport, I think the corruption runs too deep and it should be dropped.
@Mark Carolan: has to be taken out of the Olympics, brings disgrace to the competition
@Mark Carolan: has to be looked at.. It has no integrity anymore.. Needs to be dropped. The last 3 Olympics have had more than 1 or 2 blatant corruption outcomes.
@Blue Whale: only chance is to go back to the old way of scoring that they introduced after the Roy Jones Jnr debacle in Seoul. That seemed to work reasonably well for the competitors, but obviously not for the governing bodies.
Disgraceful home town decision.
That’s a truly shocking decision
Poor woman got completely ripped off there. Hopefully she will go again in four years time. She boxed and fought really well and is a serious talent.
Dear god can boxing go any lower discusting decision poor girl she was class won that fight
The decision last night was bad enough but that decision there was shocking is there a more corrupt sport in the Olympics
Travisty Daina won the fight corruption alive and well in Amateur Boxing.
Absolutely, a terrible decision.
Brutal decision, she boxed way better
Was ray ridge a judge lol
@Gary Galligan: oh ffs he will most likely say she lost
@Gary Galligan: why do you care? and why do you give that obnoxious troll oxygen
Outrageous decison. So corrupt. My heart goes out Daina. And then they have 2 male boxers in the womens event. God help us.
@Michael Carroll: that’s not true Michael. You lose credibility when you throw misinformation into the comments section. Those two are not male…they are females with an extraordinary higher level of testosterone than most females.
@Michael Carroll: kellie harrington beat one of the boxers you are incorrectly branding male at the last olympics. Where was the outrage then?
@Michael Carroll: I woyld suggest that you do your homework before making a silly comment like that!
@Michael Carroll: Michael I’m with you 100 % on your post. Both boxers you talk about were banned from last years Women’s World Boxing Championships for they both are not women. A fact is a fact – they both were not allowed compete in the women’s world championship last year, read it again and google it to see it’s true to all the naysayers
@WqM9AAv3: I am delighted to hear that you have taken such an unusually enlightened point of view in favour of Trans Rights John or Edward, but in this case both girls were born female, with female genetalia and a specific female organ. Obviously I cannot tell you why they were also born with a Y chromosone, but it happens to millions of girls. There are also millions of boys born with 2 X chromostones. Do you think that they should be punished for the way they were born or should we introduce multiple gender classes into the Olympic games?
@Paul Ennis: my bad for stating a true fact that both boxers were banned from fighting in Women’s boxing. You have me all confused with everything else you said as I’ve no idea what you on about. Is it true that they were not allowed box in the Women’s World championship last year? Simple question. A simple yes or no answer will suffice
What an absolute disgrace. How can anyone have any faith in the judges after this. I thought last night was bad but what I’ve witnessed now is beyond belief and the judges didn’t even try to conceal their corruption in fact one judge had awarded the fight to the French girl after round two. Crazy.
Diana certainly looked to have won that fight but you pretty much figure she would have had to knock her opponent out to get the decision. At least the french girl fought within the rules of boxing not like the polish girl last night.
That is a disgrace four years to prepare and judges are a total disgrace I am disgusted with this injustice
Home town decision. An absolute disgrace. Diana was brilliant
Shame on France 2024,corruption alive and well
I feel sick now after that
@Sean: sick is the word. Judges should be named and shamed
After watching that WWE is less fixed than that. Boxing has to dropped for the next Olympics.
That there is exactly why it won’t be in the next Olympics. That was an epic performance from the Irish boxer, hands down the winner. Robbed
Again, boxing the most corrupt judged sport at the Olympics .How does this encourage anyone to take up this sport??
Daina was better faster and stronger, epitomises the original Olympic spirit
Absolutely shocking decision.
Boxing is terribly corrupt sport with clientélisme rife. It would really be better to demote it from Olympics until they can find a way to eliminate blatant cheating which you see all the time. AI probably has a huge role to play in that
@ Ray Ridge. You have surpassed yourself this time with your attension seeking comments. Gob****.
@Michael Carroll: don’t even reply to him
Boxing in the Olympics have been blatantly corrupt for a long long while! I don’t think morehouse was robbed blind here.. But how one judge had the opponent in all 3 rounds?? Absolute joke.
I know it would be awful for the competitors but why bother anymore with the boxing. It’s clear it’s corrupt…and if not corrupt then it’s disgracefully managed. How any referee could give that first round to the French is mind boggling. As for the second round being 4-1, it’s just a joke.
@anthony davoren: So all the medals Irish boxers have ever won should be handed back because it was corrupt. Or is it only corrupt when we lose? Come on folks, we are better than this.
@Ray Ridge: on the high moral ground what a .
@Ray Ridge: From what I know about boxing the Idea is that the fighter who lands the most punches within the rules, wins the fight? Did you honestly think that the french girl landed as many or more punches than the Irish girl?
@Bert Carolan: Clean punches Bert. Clean punches. It was another tight fight. Spilt decision in favour out Daina would have been fair also. Could have gone either way. But to suggest that 5 judges from 5 neutral countries for the second consecutive day are out to rob us is nonsense. The bias commentary leads us to believe we are winning all the time but one needs to watch these fights with commentary switched off and with objective mind set. If you put a green Irish singlet on that French fighter I guarantee you, you will see every punch she lands and be adamant that she was better fighter. The mind can play tricks with you.
@Ray Ridge: every single replay was Moorhouse landing clean punches. The singlets were red and blue you moron. Probably didn’t even watch it, but don’t let thar get in the way of your trolling.
@Ray Ridge: Well obviously clean punches, a punch that doesn’t connect is a swing. There’s no question but that Daina connected with far more punches.
You’re entitled to your opinion Ray but promise me that if you’re ever asked to judge boxing that you’ll say no.
@Setanta O’Toole: don’t reply to him
@anthony davoren: if people only let down there tri colour green white and gold glasses and you would see the decision was correct.
@WqM9AAv3: That’s not the colours of our flag
@Niall Moonan: our flag? Appears our flag these days has all the colours of the rainbow in it
@John Google: Just block him !
This stinks to high he’ll…our girl by far the better boxer….that sport is so corrupt…make mafia look like altar boys
Complete robbery.
I think the only way to show how disgusted we are is for Kellie Harrington to hold a press conference and announce she’s leaving in protest .
I know its crazy but its a crazy decision and someone needs to make a stand.
I love boxing but this way of scoring a fight is crazy . I think if I was a boxer I would leave the sport because if you are the best boxer on the night you may not win because of politics and corruption shame on the judges !!!
Unbelievable I really thought this nonsense was over but here it is as blatant as you could see.
Disgusting shame on France and the referees shame on you robbery on TV everyone seen it.
Why would any boxer bother with the Olympics – go pro and at least make some money if there is corruption . I completely went off Olympic boxing after the Michael Conlon decision a few years ago – it’s a joke
@ David Gaffeny. I would suggest that you wouldnt take her/him out on a date.
Spilt decision either way fair result. We have to look at these fights objectively. We are watching with our green goggles on. We only see the punches thrown by our own fighters. Daina fought well and can consider herself unlucky. We are in danger of becoming completely paranoid now and thinking that the whole boxing world and judges are out to get us. Which is obviously complete nonsense.
@Ray Ridge: do one
@Ray Ridge: are you insane? Or just blind?
@Ray Ridge: as predicted
@Ray Ridge:
Your wrong plain and simple I’ve often seen Irush boxers win tight decisions that could have gone either way .in my opinion there was one honest judge ,two dishonest who persuaded two to swing the 3rd and second rounds .
@Ray Ridge: no, we notice when Irish boxers get screwed but there are plenty others also being screwed as well. Sport Rotten to the core. Needs to be thrown out of Olympics until it’s sorted
@Ray Ridge: Bullshit
@Ray Ridge: you’re a pathetic little man who’s life is so meaningless you have to troll to justify your existence
@Ray Ridge: sad, sad existence you have.
2 nights running 2 of our female boxers robbed home town decisions again Walshe Dean got beaten by a French fighter too that was a bit questionable. I wonder how many French fighters will medal in the boxing
Funny when we win, we deserved to win but when we lose, it’s corruption. Come on folks we Irish are better than this.
@Ray Ridge: you aint irish
@Ray Ridge: you’re an absolute clown. Did you even watch the fight? She won the fight easily you sad little boy. You really got no attention as a child or else you’re still a child
@David Ryan: people keep replying to this dope when he should be ignored
@Ray Ridge: how come we didn’t here many cheers from the French crowd who are known for all their cheering? Oh yeah because the French woman landed very little actually. How the first round was 5-0 moorehouse is beyond me and then also what did the French do the round 5 to take it? Moorehouse was also more aggressive in that round too. You could give the second round to the French but also a tight round. 1st and 3rd were clear for us though
@ David Gaffney. I would suggest you do your homework. Tell me why the IBA banned this person from female boxing for being a male.
@Michael Carroll: can 42 open comments on their article about the Algerian fighter ? Sheds light on the IBA animosity with the IOc and presents new commentary on the IBA 2023 decision. The story is definitely not as black and white as Twitter would have you believe
@Michael Carroll: both boxers were banned from fighting in the Women’s World Chsmpionships. They were not banned from fighting in the male division. You are 100% correct in what you say