Ian Costello rules himself out of Munster head coach role on permanent basis

INTERIM Munster Rugby head coach Ian Costello has ruled himself out of taking the role on a permanent basis following the shock departure of Graham Rowntree earlier this week.

Costello said he was enjoying his role of Munster's Head of Rugby Operations.

Munster confirmed earlier this week that Costello was taking over as Interim Head Coach following the departure of Rowntree as Head Coach 'by mutual agreement'.

Costello is taking charge of Munster for Saturday's glamour friendly fixture with an All-Blacks XV at a sold-out Thomond Park.

Asked if he was interested in succeeding URC-winning Rowntree as head coach on a full-time basis, Costello said: “No. No, I’m very comfortable with that. We’re going to start the process of looking for the next head coach but take our time. We’ll make sure we find the right person and the right fit.

"My role is structured very much around long-term, strategic positioning in terms of the club, succession planning, depth charts and it’s very heavily linked to performance management.

 “I’m really enjoying it if I’m honest and it’s one that I think suits me, and I think it’s one that’s important for the club as well, and it’s evolved very, very nicely.

 “So, I’m very comfortable and I’ve said this to the lads internally and that won’t change. So from the outset we’ll start that process of looking for a head coach until we find the right fit.”

Asked is he could shed more light on Rowntree's departure, Costello said he 'could not really comment beyond what had been  released in terms of ‘mutually agreed’ and that was 'as much as we can say really out of respect for the process and respect for Graham as well.'

After returning from South Africa on Monday, the Munster Rugby squad was informed of the news of Rowntreee's departure remotely on Tuesday.

Costello agreed that it had been a 'tough couple of days' since Tuesday.

He said: “I think it’s not something that you expect. It’s a big deal, it’s a major transition in terms of your head coach and it’s something that we’ve had to work through over the last couple of days, and that’s what we’re trying to do now, obviously with a really big occasion at the weekend.

“But it’s been a tough couple of days, and we’ve managed it as well as we possibly can and tried to turn the page in moving on to a game this weekend.”

Costello said Graham Rowntree had 'a huge connection with the province'.

“We won a trophy, we finished top of the league last season and he was the coach of the year last season. I think that it’s fair to say that he’s one of the most recognisable coaches of any province. He lived the true values of Munster constantly and I think he was a guy that was loved by the supporters, by the community and had a huge connection to the province," Ian Costello said.

“On a personal level I couldn’t say enough positive about Graham. He’s been really good to me, good to the club, and I think that’s why there has been such a reaction to the news this week.”

Costello will be part of the decision-making process in identifying Munster's next head coach, along with the Munster Professional Game Committee, their IRFU counterparts and the IRFUs performance manager David Humphreys.