Dec 04,2024
Munster's interim head coach Ian Costello believes Chris Boyd is the perfect fit for the province, ahead of the experienced New Zealander’s arrival this week.
The 66-year-old former Northampton Saints director of rugby will link up with Munster as a performance consultant, as they look to bolster their coaching team for the remainder of the season, while the search goes on to find a new permanent head coach.
Costello is filling in as interim head coach since the shock departure of Graham Rowntree in last October, and combining the job with his regular role, head of rugby operations.
Boyd, who previously won a Super Rugby title at the Hurricanes before becoming director of rugby at Northampton in 2018, will arrive in Limerick this week and remain in place at least until the Six Nations break, during which time Munster will face his old Saints team in the Investec Champions Cup.
"There’s a wider search going on around head coach, and while we take our time and get that right, we looked to see if there were any more solutions we need in terms of support," Costello said about recruiting the experienced Kiwi.
"Someone like Chris, his reputation precedes him. I know him from working in England, I worked with Wasps when he worked at Northampton, and we crossed over quite a bit. I also spent a week at the Hurricanes when he was head coach.
"[He will work] On two fronts; one, his philosophy around rugby, his knowledge and experience around the coaching craft, as well as his character – he’s a really, really good bloke.
"He gets who we are and what we’re about. I had a couple of conversations with him in the last week and I think it’s a really good fit for that level of support he will be able to give us."
Boyd was a hugely popular figure during his time at Northampton, taking over as DOR in the summer of 2018 after they had gone three seasons in a row without making the Premiership semi-finals, bringing them to the final four twice in his four seasons in charge.
While he couldn’t bring the Saints to a Premiership final, he was credited with building the foundations for the side that ultimately win the title in 2024, with the bulk of that squad - and current director of rugby Phil Dowson - brought through by the Wellington native.
"Chris has a very clear vision, that’s what I really like about him," Costello added.
"At Northampton he had a very clear vision relating to the club and bringing young English players through and providing support for young, English coaches as well. That’s something we’ll definitely lean on as well.
"We’re aligned top to bottom, and to be specific we had 83 caps from our academy last year, our previous best was 44 and we were in the 30s before that.
"We’ve seen a real steady, upward curve around the quality of players, and the opportunity to play them.
"Chris is a highly experienced coach, coach developer and consultant around all elements of performance. He does it with World Rugby, New Zealand, Tonga and currently with Highlanders as well, and we know his association with Northampton.
"While we’re going through the process of looking for a new head coach, we’re always looking for extra layers of support and that’s Chris’s role.
"He’s going to come in and support the coaching team, and support all areas of performance outside of that."
Having returned to BKT URC action with a win against the Emirates Lions on Saturday, Munster get their Investec Champions Cup campaign under way against Stade Francais on Saturday night.
The province are set to have their Ireland internationals available after they returned to training this week, while versatile forward Tom Ahern has also been cleared to play, having missed last week's win with a minor injury.
