Still no word on the new head coach though.
John Fogarty and Kurt McQuilkin had both been strongly rumoured to be taking on the roles of scrum and defence coach respectively, and the province made that official this morning.
Former Leinster hooker Fogarty has come into the set-up on a permanent basis while McQuilkin, who ran Leinster’s defence during their Heineken Cup-winning season of 2008/09, has signed a short-term deal to help prepare the team ahead of the new season.
Forwards coach Leo Cullen was named interim head coach after the departure of Matt O’Connor with Girvan Dempsey taking over the backs. A number of high profile names have ruled themselves out as a replacement for the Australian, and tellingly, Leinster CEO Mick Dawson said that he is confident that the makeshift coaching ticket can get results at the start of the season.
“Together with Leo and with Girvan Dempsey, who will be in place as Backs Coach, we now have a senior coaching team in place that will add value to the Leinster Rugby environment, that know the current group of players and indeed the next crop of players coming through and that can hopefully deliver performances for the start of the new season.”
If Dawson expects Cullen to remain in charge for the season’s opening weeks, does that mean Leinster have their eye on a coach at the World Cup? Perhaps Vern Cotter could be tempted away from Scotland or maybe Dawson is considering *gulp* Philippe Saint-Andre as a viable option.
