Gerry Thornley of the Irish Times talks to Connacht's new Sydney-born backs coach Brian Melrose about the season ahead and the challenges facing the underfunded Irish province.
"As interesting as the new playing acquisitions at Connacht, of course, is the presence of local hero Eric Elwood as director of rugby, and the specialist coaches who have been brought in. Mike Forshaw, a former rugby league player, is defensive coach; Conor McPhillips will ease the load on forwards coach Dan McFarland as the province’s first video analyst; while Brian Melrose, a former Australian under-20 and sevens coach, is the new backs coach.
"Ask Melrose why he took on the job at Connacht and he says simply: “Because they asked me.
"Just the opportunity arose to coach in a professional league and it was too good to miss. Coaching club rugby in Sydney is fine, but the opportunities in professional rugby are limited to just four teams in the Super 14."
RSS feed
