International News – Kirwan Extends Contract.

The Italian rugby union federation has announced that New Zealand’s John Kirwan has extended his
contract as manager of Italy until after the 2007 World Cup.John Kirwan has extended his
contract as manager of Italy until after the 2007 World Cup.

Kirwan’s existing deal was due to expire in June.
The former All Black took over as Italy coach from his compatriot
Brad
johnstone in 2002. Under Kirwan Italy notched up one win, against
Scotland, in
this season’s RBS Six Nations.

Meanwhile, Wallabies coach Eddie Jones has missed
out on his
preferred choice as assistant coach after Wales backs coach Scott
Johnson
opted out of negotiations.

Jones wanted to have Johnson in the role ahead of Australia’s
domestic Test
season, starting in June, but decided against it after
Australian-born Johnson
baulked at making a decision.
Johnson, a key figure in the Welsh team’s revival during last
year’s World
Cup, was to be Jones’s coaching co-ordinator for three years heading
into the
2007 tournament.

Jones was forced to look around the rugby world for replacements
after the
World Cup when Ewen McKenzie and Glen Ella left and took up other
employment
opportunities.

Former Wallaby prop Andrew Blades, coaching Newcastle in England,
is set to
become the new Wallabies’ forwards coach.
“We were obviously interested in Scotty, I don’t think there
was any secret
about that but he couldn’t commit, one way or the other,” Jones
said.

“We’ve got a time-frame we operate under, we want to have all
coaches on
board by May 14 at the latest and he couldn’t commit to that so we
ended the
negotiations.”

The former NSW assistant coach travelled to Sydney last month to
meet with
the Australian Rugby Union, but it’s believed a family illness was
behind his
failure to sign up.

Wales was eager for Johnson to continue as skills coach under new
national
coach Mike Ruddock, while he has received other lucrative coaching
offers in
Europe.

Before joining Wales, Johnson helped Jones prepare the Australian
A team
that beat the British and Irish Lions at Gosford in 2001.
Jones said there were “two or three candidates still in the
running” to
take the job.

NSW backs coach Andy Friend is a frontrunner while ACT deputy
Anthony Eddy
has also been mentioned, although he has put his hand up for the
vacant
Brumbies head coach role.

AFP – 2004.