Danny Wilson to leave Cardiff Blues at end of the season- John Mulvihill to replace him

First topic message reminder :

There is no Cardiff Blues thread, so I thought I would give this it's own independent one. I do not know the why's and the what's, but it looks as though Danny Wilson want's to walk away at the end of the season.

Taken from WOL:-

Wilson will leave his role at the end of the season

Danny Wilson is to leave Cardiff Blues at the end of this season.

The Blues head coach has decided not to take up the option of extending his stay at the Arms Park into a fourth year.

Wilson has met with senior officials at the region over the past week or so to discuss the budgetary plans for next season on the playing and management front.

And, after taking everything into consideration, he has opted not to sign a contract extension.

He will however stay in charge for the remainder of the season, with the players being informed of the situation yesterday.

The former Wales U20s boss has reportedly been targeted by Northampton, who want to bring him on board as forwards coach, while he is likely to attract further interest from elsewhere.

But it’s understood he hasn’t signed a deal with any club for next season at this point in time.

Confirming Wilson’s decision to leave at the end of the season, the Blues say a search for a suitable successor will begin with immediate effect and further rugby appointments will be made.

Chief executive Richard Holland said: “It is disappointing that Danny has decided not to take up the offer of a new contract and will not be part of our strategy moving forward.

“We will begin the process of finding a successor immediately and we will consult key individuals to ensure we make the right appointment for Cardiff Blues.”

Wilson admits it was a tough decision to make, but insists he remains committed to the cause for the remainder of his time at the Blues.

“This was obviously a very difficult decision to make and I am very grateful to Cardiff Blues for the opportunities they have given to me,” he said.

“I will be fully committed to Cardiff Blues for the remainder of my time here and am now solely focused on this weekend’s match with Munster.”

Wilson was appointed head coach at the Blues in the summer of 2015, having previously been forwards coach at the Dragons, the Scarlets and Bristol, as well as having spells with Cardiff RFC and London Welsh.

He had also led Wales U20s to second and third place finishes in the Junior World Championship in successive years.

The Blues finished seventh in the PRO12 in his first two years at the helm and reached the Challenge Cup quarter-final last season.

What about the rest of this season?

Just to confirm, Danny Wilson is contracted until the end of this season and the Blues are adamant he will remain at the helm for the rest of the campaign.

It will clearly be a somewhat unusual situation, with everyone knowing he is on his way but a lot of rugby to be played.

Only time will tell how things work out and how the Blues fare over the coming months.

Northampton are reportedly keen to bring Wilson on board as forwards coach, while other clubs are bound to be interested in acquiring the services of a man who is renowned as a very accomplished, technical set-piece guru.

He hasn’t signed with anyone yet, but he will now be considering his future options.

Who will replace Wilson?

The Blues have announced that a search for a suitable successor to Wilson as head coach will begin with immediate effect.

That has inevitably got us thinking in the office about potential candidates and there have been a few interesting names bandied around. You’ve got former England and Scotland coach Andy Robinson, ex-Scarlets boss Simon Easterby, who is currently with Ireland, and former Bath and Toulon coach Mike Ford.

Mark Anscombe - the father of Blues fly-half Gareth - was another name that cropped up, with the Kiwi having recently left his job with Canada.

Stephen Jones would clearly be an appealing option, given the outstanding job he has done as Scarlets backs coach, helping them to the PRO12 title.

Alternatively, if the Blues look to promote from within, then they have attack specialist Matt Sherratt, who has had a spell with Wales, while Shaun Edwards is also on the coaching staff in a consultancy capacity. And then there’s always the option of going with a senior player such as Gethin Jenkins, a route the Blues went down before when they appointed fellow Wales prop Dai Young.

Blues budget a key factor

It’s clear one of the main factors behind Wilson’s decision to move on was the budgetary plan for next season.

There was an option for him to extend his contract into a fourth year and the Blues were keen for him to stay on board.

But, before making his mind up, he wanted to know what money he’d have to play with.

The playing budget for this season stands at around £4.95m, down a couple of hundred thousand or so from what was originally planned as a result of Springbok lock Franco van der Merwe being released due to financial issues.

As I understand it, the proposal from the board for next term was a playing spend of around £4.8m, with some additional investment being made available on the coaching side.

After considering what he’d have to spend, Wilson decided not to sign a new deal. Exactly what it would have taken to keep him on board is uncertain, but one would imagine it would have required a playing budget of around £5.3m.

That wasn’t on the table, so there has been an amicable parting of the ways.

How the story broke

It was late yesterday evening that news first reached me that Danny Wilson was leaving the Blues.

Nothing stays a secret in Welsh rugby for too long and the jungle drums started beating with increasing volume as the night wore on.

The word was Wilson had told the Blues players he would be moving on at the end of this season.

I was also hearing he had made his decision after the playing and coaching budgets for next term were outlined to him.

As you do in my job, you check out the validity of any story with trusted contacts and by early this morning it was clear this one was right.

So I started writing!

The news was then officially confirmed by a statement from the Blues.

Here is the Link:-

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/live-updates-danny-wilson-quits-13680428

Any Cardiff fans care to elaborate on this ?

Is anybody surprised ?

Well, well, it looks as though Mike Ruddock has thrown his hat into the ring. This could get interesting.

What do you all think ?

I hope Sean Holley gets the job, just so he's not on Scrum V all the time.

Please give to Jiffy so we are not subjected to his inane utterances on the BBC !

geoff999rugby wrote:Please give to Jiffy so we are not subjected to his inane utterances on the BBC !

I was thinking the same for Mark Robson on sky

Though Holley would get my vote too. Imagine the weekly stat pad briefings at CAP then. What a treat for the Blouses.

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:I hope Sean Holley gets the job, just so he's not on Scrum V all the time.

Ooh, you are evil.

geoff999rugby wrote:Please give to Jiffy so we are not subjected to his inane utterances on the BBC !

Tiz what the BBC excel at though before, during and after any sport they televise or don't televise. Thank feck for the mute button.

LordDowlais wrote:Well, well, it looks as though Mike Ruddock has thrown his hat into the ring. This could get interesting.

What do you all think ?

The chief exec is meeting with supporters sometime this week, I understand. That might be interesting, but there again it might not.

Both Ruddock and Holley have not given any quotes on it, just their names have been mentioned in the press. So I’m not too sure how much to read into it.

ScarletSpiderman wrote:Both Ruddock and Holley have not given any quotes on it, just their names have been mentioned in the press.  So I’m not too sure how much to read into it.

A typical Welsh rugby article by the sounds of it. No guts.

25 applicants, apparently. Some internal coaches, some untested.

gcBlues wrote:25 applicants, apparently.  Some internal coaches, some untested.

Top coaches apparently.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/41588530

gcBlues wrote:25 applicants, apparently.  Some internal coaches, some untested.

25 already? That was quick scouring. Must've used Flash.

LordDowlais wrote:Well, well, it looks as though Mike Ruddock has thrown his hat into the ring. This could get interesting.

What do you all think ?

Dunno is the source that short arsed guy with bad teeth who writes the occasional stuff for the Western Mail?

Cardiff Dave wrote:

gcBlues wrote:25 applicants, apparently.  Some internal coaches, some untested.

25 already? That was quick scouring. Must've used Flash.

It's not surprising! Even I applied! I said in my application that I'd save the Blues from relegation, without a doubt. It's between me and Howley apparently.

Fiddler wrote:Dunno is the source that short arsed guy with bad teeth who writes the occasional stuff for the Western Mail?

I assume you mean Andy Howell? Somebody might take offence to that.

Griff wrote:

Cardiff Dave wrote:

gcBlues wrote:25 applicants, apparently.  Some internal coaches, some untested.

25 already? That was quick scouring. Must've used Flash.

It's not surprising! Even I applied! I said in my application that I'd save the Blues from relegation, without a doubt. It's between me and Howley apparently.

You'll definitely out do Holley there.

That'll be the day.

Griff wrote:

Cardiff Dave wrote:

gcBlues wrote:25 applicants, apparently.  Some internal coaches, some untested.

25 already? That was quick scouring. Must've used Flash.

It's not surprising! Even I applied! I said in my application that I'd save the Blues from relegation, without a doubt. It's between me and Howley apparently.

If its between you two, then congratulations on your new job

It'll be somebody already within the bloo bubble I reckon.

Geordan Murphy then. Blydi knew it.
24-nil btw. Feckin 'ell.
Different type of cold apparently and what's with the Leeds rugby league kit?

Do you think you'll beat them in the return fixture?

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:Do you think you'll beat them in the return fixture?

Depends on the "conditions".

Well if you can beat the Dragons at the Arms Park, you can beat anyone.

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:Well if you can beat the Dragons at the Arms Park, you can beat anyone.

Nah. Cardiff aint got "the vibe" mun.

Interested to know who else is on the rather long shortlist if Murphy is deemed the most adequate? I see elsewhere that Cardiff's fan base are being delusional again, believing the problems started with Wilson joining and will subsequently end upon his departure.

Tandy !!

mikey_dragon wrote:Interested to know who else is on the rather long shortlist if Murphy is deemed the most adequate? I see elsewhere that Cardiff's fan base are being delusional again, believing the problems started with Wilson joining and will subsequently end upon his departure.

Maybe Geordan's got the necessary vibe. Like a buzzing thing.
Not sure about Cardiff fans being delusional. Disillusioned possibly.

OH HAI MALLINDER !

They wouldn't, would they?

I can hear the pee boiling from across the bridge already

mikey_dragon wrote:Interested to know who else is on the rather long shortlist if Murphy is deemed the most adequate? I see elsewhere that Cardiff's fan base are being delusional again, believing the problems started with Wilson joining and will subsequently end upon his departure.

Where have you seen that then?

mikey_dragon wrote:Interested to know who else is on the rather long shortlist if Murphy is deemed the most adequate? I see elsewhere that Cardiff's fan base are being delusional again, believing the problems started with Wilson joining and will subsequently end upon his departure.

Wasn’t wilson and Sharrat the masterminds of the Blues open and flowing style etc when they had that good spell when they took over? Same as with the Chief, and now doubt it will be with Murphy. Just hope the underlying issues get fixed

Taken from WOL:-

Who is John Mulvihill? The incoming Cardiff Blues coach, his coaching CV and the familiar names he's linked with
The deal to bring the protege of former Wales caretaker coach and esteemed ex-Cardiff head honcho Alex Evans to the Arms Park could be completed this week

Cardiff Blues will have their eighth coach in seven years when unknown Australian John Mulvihill is unveiled as Danny Wilson’s successor.

Mulvihill is “excited” at the challenge of stepping into the Blues hot seat and hopes to be released this week from his contract in Japan.


The 51-year-old is backs coach at Honda Heat, assisting former New Zealand scrum-half Danny Lee, who had a short stint as a player at the Dragons.

Mulvihill assisted Alan Jones, who coached the brilliant Australia team of the 1980s, and ex-England backs coach Brian Smith with the Barbarians during their 31-28 defeat to the Wallabies in Sydney last October.

He is a protege of Jones and another of Australia’s leading rugby minds in Alex Evans, who guided Cardiff RFC to a Welsh League title and was Wales’ caretaker coach at the 1995 World Cup in South Africa.

Mulvihill was an outside-half with Evans’ club Souths in Brisbane before embarking on a coaching career which has seen him have stints on the staff of the Wallabies and at Perth-based Western Force.

Overseeing the deal to bring Mulvihill to Wales is rugby agent Derwyn Jones, who manages Sam Warburton and a host of other high-profile players.

Former Wales lock Jones formed a close relationship with the highly-regarded Evans when the pair worked together at Cardiff.

Mulvihill also knows the Welsh Rugby Union’s head of rugby performance Geraint John, who is a former coach of the Australia Sevens team.

Since Dai Young left the Blues in 2011 after guiding them to Anglo-Welsh and European Challenge Cup glory, the coaching door at the Arms Park has been akin to a revolving turnstile.

Gareth Baber, Justin Burnell, Phil Davies, Paul John, Dale McIntosh and Mark Hammett have all passed through it.

And current coach Danny Wilson leaves to become forwards guru to Young at Aviva Premiership Wasps at the end of the season after turning down the offer of a new contract following three years in charge.

Wilson said last September he would be leaving the Blues at the end of this campaign because of a lack of clarity over the budget he would be working with next season.

Since his announcement, the Blues have been linked with a number of coaches, with former Ireland full-back and Leicester Tigers assistant coach Geordan Murphy an early contender before distancing himself from the post.

Hurricanes boss Chris Boyd was also a contender, with the New Zealander also thought to be one of the men in the running to take over the Welsh reins from Warren Gatland at the end of the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan.

But Boyd has been appointed permanent successor to Jim Mallinder at Northampton Saints next season.

A deal to bring the sacked Mallinder to the Blues was on the cards but the former Sale Sharks and twice-capped England full-back pulled out of it with financial issues thought to be the stumbling block.

So they turned to Mulvihill with Blues chief executive Richard Holland having jetted to Dubai for talks with the Queenslander.

Mulvihill has a reputation in Australia and Japan for developing players and working on their skills.

Unknown coach and still a low budget, I can't see much changing in the near future. It's a shame they didn't hold onto Hammett... or get Boyd.