Meyer eyes Irish job
9 Apr 2008
Heyneke Meyer says it would be an honour to coach Ireland.
The former Bulls coach is current working for SA sports supplements company USN, having controversially missed out on the Bok coaching job to Peter de Villiers. The Ireland Rugby Union are currently looking for a new coach, having sacked Eddie O’Sullivan after nightmare World Cup and Six Nations campaigns.
“It will, of course, be a great honour if the Irish administrators approach me but there has been no official discussions between us,” Meyer told a Dublin newspaper. “I miss being involved in something special, such as a culture in which people will die for each other. I have always thought Irish rugby had that passion.”
Meyer believes Ireland have the potential to become a serious threat on the international stage.
“I have no doubts that the Irish are capable of reaching great heights,” he said. “I really thought they would do well in the World Cup. Of all the teams in the northern hemisphere, they are the ones who can look the southern hemisphere giants in the eyes. I have always watched Irish rugby with great interest.”
If Meyer does get the job, he will ironically coach against the Boks in Dubai at the end of the year, in a match that will form part of a Grand Slam tour for the South Africans. However, Munster coach Declan Kidney is expected to beat Meyer – and the other contenders – to the Ireland job. The club recently qualified for the European Cup semi-finals, further boosting Kidney’s claims.
36 Comments
9 Apr 2008, 07:27 am
Dragons honour!!!
9 Apr 2008, 07:40 am
Will Heyneke have any issues with becoming Roman Catholic? Just a question….
9 Apr 2008, 07:46 am
if he can make the irish champs they wont care if he is a hindu…
9 Apr 2008, 07:50 am
Ruck are you by any chance Catholic?
9 Apr 2008, 07:55 am
2.
Ireland’s rugby team isn’t exclusively Roman Catholic as it also comprises members from the Protestant North of Ireland. Indeed, it represents not the nation of Ireland (for there are two) but rather 4 provinces.
Moreover, rugby is and has been a middle class, English sport.
9 Apr 2008, 08:10 am
and soccer is the poor, weak man that doesn’t want to be hit’s sport?
9 Apr 2008, 08:13 am
can the paddies not do better than HM?
make Eddie an offer he cannot refuse.
9 Apr 2008, 08:13 am
Big Hit, the difference between Anglicanism and Catholism is only in the leader of the Church! I am a practicing Catholic, and I attended an Anglican friend’s funeral and the Ceremony, prayers, Hymns and order of Mass were exactly the same, I even forgot I was in an Anglican Church, so I don’t understand what all the fuss is between N Ireland and Ireland!
9 Apr 2008, 08:14 am
Are we saying Heyneke is willing to give up the colour issue in SA for the religious issue in Ireland?
9 Apr 2008, 08:18 am
8.
I’m not so sure what the fuss is about either GirlShark, but I’m fairly sure it has more to do with class issues than religious issues. As ever, religion is the excuse for war.
All that said, Irish rugby has a long history of harmony in the religious sphere so its not a problem which Meyer would have to deal with.
6.
Not at all, I’m a big football fan. Just reminding ruck where the sport we all know and love originated (lest she forget)
9 Apr 2008, 08:19 am
I miss being involved in something special, such as a culture in which people will die for each other
Try coaching Iraq
Keo und lapdogs your site is skewed. The ad banner is constantly up the right side so you have to scroll down to find the story, header, comments etc.
9 Apr 2008, 08:25 am
Good luck Heyneke. Its a pity that you have left SA rugby, but at least you know not to leave rugby for good!
9 Apr 2008, 08:45 am
# 8 – GirlShark
The ongoing feud between the republic and Northern Ireland has to do with governance and goes back a long way where a Dutch king ruled Ireland and the British monarch wanted to rule the whole country!
In a nutshell it’s all sorted out to a degree and the European Union has pretty much nullified the whole argument! Despite all this, there is peace and harmony between both nations, BUT scratch the surface with an individual in a pub type conversation and you can see some serious passion for the old causes!!!
Still hate each other deep down!
It’s much more complex than this, but I tried to explain it as simply as possible! Personally I agree with an earlier statement religion is just used to define on which side you find yourself!?
9 Apr 2008, 08:47 am
Meyer is finished with rugby, according to the Beeld newspaper. He is making enougth money with USN!
9 Apr 2008, 08:48 am
Good luck Heyneke – I’ll be at all the games to see how your coaching talents are put to good use!
Irish rugby is in a mess, but we all know you can fix most #@$% up’s, gosh you even managed great success with the Bulls!!!
9 Apr 2008, 08:59 am
I wonder if HM gets the Ireland job, if Bakkies, then would switch nations. If he cannot get France, maybe Ireland is next, for we sure know he doesnt want to stay in Blou Koei country
9 Apr 2008, 08:59 am
Girlshark, I would obviously have no idea which churches you have attended but – as someone engaged to a lovely Maltese woman (a cultural Catholic, not a practising one), as someone who has a Jesuit friend and who has attended both Anglican and Catholic ceremonies – I can assure you were are differences in hymns and religious rites.
The problems in Northern Ireland stem from the prior brutal British occupation of Ireland which also introduced a religious divide.
9 Apr 2008, 09:06 am
Mikey, I cannot argue with you as I have not studied the Anglican faith very closely. But as I mentioned the Funeral rites, prayers and Hymns were exactly the same in both Churches right down to the order of the ceremony!
9 Apr 2008, 09:10 am
Heyneke will have to start learning to drink whiskey…
9 Apr 2008, 09:11 am
The Paddies won’t ever take to the 10-man Noord Transvaal game which is the only thing Heineken knows anything about.
And the players won’t take to after-match drinks of Klippies-en-Kouk. They’re into Guinness or Tullamore Dew.
It’ll all end in tears, Heineken. Don’t go there.
9 Apr 2008, 09:19 am
It sounds like a great idea, provided that the Paddies don’t mind winning only one game in the next 3 Six Nations tournaments.
9 Apr 2008, 09:27 am
Go Meyer , you love your rugby. South Africa don’t no what they going to miss in you.
9 Apr 2008, 09:33 am
I think its fantastic. Heyneke would learn a lot about many things. We need to grow our coaches in all sorts of rugby nations across the globe.
The Afrikaans community in Dublin is growing believe it or not. My Afrikaans friend’s brother is married to an Irish “Colleen” as they say in the Emerald Isle…3 kids. Mmmm, budding new Brian O’ Driscoll’s coming through with a Cloete overtone.
Who knows Heyneke may still turn into a Chieftains fan and love their music. He will be converted to Van Morrison, Christy Moore, The Corrs, Enya, U2 etc…Heyneke may even go on a rugby crusade with Bono to the UN.
One thing’s for sure he will have so many laughs that he will fall into playing the 15 man game.
Go Heyneke…spread your wings…do that Irish jig and may the change do you good.
9 Apr 2008, 09:45 am
If the Irish take Meyer, their rugby is going down for sure. The guy is not a great coach at all. He got lucky last year in the S14, after sucking for many years at the bottom of the log. I almost wish SA Rugby gave him the job, just so you could see how badly he sucks. Think about it. Before that final match last year would any of you even consider the guy for a National Coaching job? The Bulls win, the press go wild and start a campaign for him when they heard that White was out. Heineke Meyer sucks. The Irish could do so much better.
9 Apr 2008, 09:54 am
20
Ireland played 10 man rugby through most of the 80s and 90s. The ‘Garryowen’ is in fact a club in Ireland.
9 Apr 2008, 10:09 am
#24 hater
How can you say that? Heyneke has won numerous CC’s to go along with the S14 trophy!
I’m a Shark and even i think you talking bollocks!
Give the guy credit where it’s due!
9 Apr 2008, 10:20 am
Ireland have been the most over-rated side for some time. They don’t have the players and to be frank i don’t think they ever will.
9 Apr 2008, 10:54 am
Well at lest he can stop saying free into the ruck for THREE and now say tree into the ruck!!!!
9 Apr 2008, 11:00 am
Heyneke has a Kidney problem!
9 Apr 2008, 11:42 am
#24 Hater, you’re just talking ****! Ask ANY international team / player / coach and they will rate Heyneke.
9 Apr 2008, 13:13 pm
I read in a NZ newspaper today that the Gazzilionaire owner of the Toulon Club wants to sack Tana Umaga and hire Meyer.
Heyneke is very popular it would seem.
Froggie gazzillionaire probably pays better too.
9 Apr 2008, 13:48 pm
Then he will become the mayor of Doeblin.
I wonder what the gorgeous powers of SA Rugby will vomit up as an excuse when the Paddies whip the Boks with HM?
9 Apr 2008, 17:05 pm
Straight up Hater! I agree with you. Heynecke could only succeed with the Boks at international level. I think the senior Bulls players would play their socks out for him and he would win a few games convincingly with the Boks.
Maar met enige ander nasie soos die Paddy’s, sou hy plat op sy gesig val.
But the Paddy’s put up with O’Sulivan for years before he won anything, so maybe they could be patient with him as well.
Mandiyitshaye isaqhuma.
9 Apr 2008, 17:33 pm
Heyneke Meyer you *** licker!!!
Sucking up to Irish journalists in the hope that the circulation of their publications will boost your chances.
“I have no doubts that the Irish are capable of reaching great heights,”
“I have always thought Irish rugby had that passion.”
Please don’t grovel, it detracts from your own integrity. You made the decision to go and sulk when you didn’t get the Bok job and now you resort to this. To go and coach an inferior northern hemisphere side whilst leaving your Bulls that you apparently “love” so much behind to get crushed by the Reds?
Tut tut tut….
9 Apr 2008, 17:54 pm
heyneke go get the money!!!!! you’ll be glad later
9 Apr 2008, 18:49 pm
Got to feel for the guy. Screwed out of the top job and now deciding what’s second best. Probably need a translator with him though, English to English.
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