JOHN FOGARTY HAS confirmed he is in talks with the IRFU over becoming the next Ireland scrum coach, but insists nothing has been signed yet amid intense speculation linking him with the role.
The Leinster coach is the leading candidate to be appointed to Andy Farrell’s backroom team following this year’s World Cup, at which point Greg Feek will depart the position he has held for five years.
The former hooker has been on the Leinster coaching team since 2015 and has seen his stock rise considerably in that time, not only helping the province to a fourth European crown, but overseeing the development of the likes of Andrew Porter and Tadhg Furlong.
Leinster recently confirmed contract extensions for Leo Cullen and Stuart Lancaster for the next two seasons, but there was no word on a renewed deal for Fogarty as he prepares to make the step up to international rugby.
“I have been having conversations but there’s nothing to report on those conversations just yet,” he said yesterday.
“It’s something that anyone in the coaching game would love to get involved in, working with an international team. There have been conversations but there’s really nothing to report at all.”
Fogarty is well-respected and well-liked in the Leinster dressing room and last year spoke of his ambition to go into international coaching, having worked his way up the ladder since his retirement from playing in 2010.
Feek has already announced he will be moving on after the World Cup to take up a position with Japanese outfit NEC Green Rockets, leaving head coach in waiting Farrell to find a replacement in addition to a new attack coach.
Leinster senior coach Lancaster had emerged as a potential appointment to Farrell’s backroom team, but the Englishman recently committed his future to the province as he looks to build on the success achieved alongside Cullen.
While Fogarty looks destined to move into a role with the national senior team, his immediate focus is on Leinster’s bid to retain their Champions Cup and Pro14 crowns after last Saturday’s victory over Ulster.
Leinster now have two Pro14 weekends — home games against Benetton and Glasgow Warriors — to gear up for their European semi-final against Toulouse at the Aviva Stadium on Sunday 21 April.
Fogarty and the Leinster coaching staff were in Paris on Sunday to watch Toulouse’s stunning defeat of Racing 92 at La Défense Arena, a result which crucially gave the province home country advantage for the last four tie.
“It was an incredible experience to go and watch a game there for sure,” Fogarty continued. “What we saw was a very ambitious, very confident Toulouse team. They’re such a dangerous side and when you kick loosely to them, you have to get your defensive structures in place and Racing didn’t.
“It’s hugely important for us to have home advantage. To have to go to France is difficult and to have to go to France and play in that arena would have been something very different and new, so there are home familiarities when you get these home games.
“The Aviva has been good to us but we have a lot of work to do. We’re delighted to be in a semi-final and at home.”
Fogarty reiterated Cullen’s post-match message from Saturday by urging players to take their opportunities in the coming weeks as Leinster bid to rediscover their top form for the business end of the campaign.
As the likes of Johnny Sexton, Devin Toner and Robbie Henshaw are working their way back to full fitness, Fogarty admitted it’s important for Leinster to get those players back on the paddock and have the group training as a unit before Toulouse.
Although Leinster have already assured themselves of a home Pro14 semi-final, Benetton’s visit to the RDS on Saturday [KO 7.45pm, eir Sport/TG4] takes on added importance for players looking to press their claims for selection.
“For us, building cohesion in the team and getting all those [injured] guys back and on the field and training is very important for us to click,” Fogarty added.
“What you saw at the weekend against Ulster was a team that wasn’t quite clicking. It was mixed. There were times we looked good and there were times it was a bit of mixed bag.
For us as coaches, we need to get our selection right. Some of the players, for whatever reason, weren’t quite performing well so it’s really important that the playing group that are out there are performing well. And that puts us under pressure to actually select the right players and that’s something we’ve spoken about since the game and we’ll speak about again this week.
“There are lots of players who are putting their hands up in training sessions, they’ve had good Pro14 games and sometimes it’s time for players to step up and maybe we’ll see that. Other guys need to get themselves back into the groove. We weren’t at our best, for sure, but we got there. It’s about us building a performance.
“There’s only one way to do that and it’s getting out there and getting on with it. We’re looking forward to the game at the weekend.”
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