Rugby: Bradley in the frame for Munster

Edinburgh Rugby coach Michael Bradley was today linked with a move back across the Irish Sea as a vacancy cropped up at his old club Munster.

Current Munster mentor Tony McGahan’s decision to return to his native Australia at the end of this season has sparked a flurry of speculation in Ireland, with Bradley’s name immediately coming to the fore.

It is understood some in the Edinburgh camp were bracing themselves for such a reaction as soon as McGahan’s plans were announced yesterday but the man who has guided the Capital outfit into the quarter finals of the Heineken European Cup still has 15 months of his existing contract to run.

Nevertheless, this has not deterred conjecture in the Irish media, with the Examiner today including Bradley in a list of candidates along with countrymen Eddie O’Sullivan and Conor O’Shea.

Bradley’s name also appears in the Irish Times list but Scottish Rugby bosses would surely fight to retain the ex-Ireland scrum-half whose CV has been further enhanced by guiding Scotland A to a resounding 35-0 win over English Saxons earlier this month and bringing through new Six Nations caps Dave Denton and Lee Jones.