O'Sullivan faces the axe
Sun, 16 Mar 2008 23:15
Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan is sweating over his future as the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) prepare to discuss their disappointing Six Nations campaign.
O'Sullivan's six-and-a-half-year reign appears likely to end after Saturday's 10-33 defeat against England brought a close to their worst Six Nations finish since 1999.
With the painful memories of last year's woeful World Cup performance still fresh, O'Sullivan must fear the axe after Philip Browne, the IRFU's chief executive, admitted the board were unhappy with the team's displays.
"The IRFU shares in the disappointment with the outcome of this year's Six Nations from an Irish perspective and will be undertaking a detailed review of our performance," Browne said.
"Our objective in this, as always, will be to ensure the Irish team has in place the optimal structures to allow it to perform at the highest international levels in the future."
A review is traditionally held during the week after a tournament is finished and it has been suggested the IRFU will thrash out severance terms on O'Sullivan's four-year contract.
The 49-year-old O'Sullivan remained steadfast in his belief that he is the right man for the job.
"My own position is that at this moment in time I'm not making any decisions about anything," O'Sullivan said ahead of Ireland's tour of New Zealand and Australia in June.
"What we always do after every major tournament is meet with the Irish Rugby Football Union to discuss the bigger picture and that will happen again. After that I suppose we'll know what we're doing going forward.
"Absolutely I believe I am the right man to lead Irish rugby. I love this job and I've always given it 110 percent. If I thought I couldn't give 110 percent I'd be the first to admit that.
"But I intend to give it everything I have as long as I'm doing it."
