Italy’s decision to axe Kieran Crowley likely to pique interest in Edinburgh circles

Kieran Crowley has expressed his frustration with Italy’s rugby federation after being told he would not be in charge of the national team after this autumn’s Rugby World Cup.
Italy's coach Kieran Crowley is not being kept on after the Rugby World Cup.  (Photo by ANDY BUCHANAN/AFP via Getty Images)Italy's coach Kieran Crowley is not being kept on after the Rugby World Cup.  (Photo by ANDY BUCHANAN/AFP via Getty Images)
Italy's coach Kieran Crowley is not being kept on after the Rugby World Cup. (Photo by ANDY BUCHANAN/AFP via Getty Images)

The former All Black wanted to remain in post to try to continue the notable progress made across the last two seasons which has seen Italy defeat Wales and Australia.

The surprise announcement is bound to pique the interest of the Scottish Rugby Union which is searching for a new head coach for Edinburgh. Murrayfield has cultivated good relations with its Italian counterpart and lured Franco Smith to Glasgow Warriors from his position as head of high performance with the FIR. Smith has had a transformative impact in his first season in charge at Scotstoun, leading Warriors to the final of the European Challenge Cup and fourth place in the United Rugby Championship.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Smith had previously been head coach of Italy but was succeeded in May 2021 by Crowley who guided the traditional Six Nations makeweights to a famous win in Wales the following year which ended a 36-game losing streak in the competition. He followed it up last autumn with Italy’s historic first victory over Australia. Crowley, 61, has a record of six wins and 13 defeats with Italy but the FIR has decided to move on after the World Cup. “Kieran’s time with Italian rugby is very positive. He has raised a group of boys, making them into men and players of high international level, and for this we will be eternally grateful to him,” FIR president Marzio Innocenti said.

Ange Capuozzo celebrates with fans after Italy's Six Nations win over Wales in 2022. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)Ange Capuozzo celebrates with fans after Italy's Six Nations win over Wales in 2022. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
Ange Capuozzo celebrates with fans after Italy's Six Nations win over Wales in 2022. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

Crowley said the decision was a matter of regret for him as he felt the team were in a position to build on recent impressive performances under his guidance.

“I regret FIR’s decision not to extend my contract,” he said. “We have a young team that has gained good experience over the past year, with performances that have shown improvement in many areas. With a World Cup and four more years of international matches, we will have a group with an average of 50-60 caps, an exciting prospect. Unfortunately, I will not be part of this journey.”

Crowley has been coach at Italian club Benetton prior to taking the Italy job and had coached at international level with Canada from 2008-16. A former full-back, he played 19 times for the All Blacks and was part of the squad which won the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987. His contribution to Italy cannot be overstated. The run of defeats suffered by the Azzurri in the Six Nations between 2016 and 2022 caused many to question whether they deserved their guaranteed place in the competition. But the dramatic win over Wales in Cardiff in 2022 coupled with the emergence of talented players such as Ange Capuozzo, Alessandro Fusco and Paolo Garbisi has silenced such talk.

Italy have been grouped with hosts France, New Zealand, Uruguay and Namibia in Pool A at this year’s World Cup and Crowley has vowed to give it his best shot in what is a challenging section. “I will be 100 per cent committed along with our staff to prepare this group of players in the best way possible,” he said.

Italy will play Scotland at Murrayfield on July 29 in a warm-up match.

Comments

 0 comments

Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.