Over the next week or so, we're asking you, the readers of Balls.ie, to decide who is the greatest Irish manager of all time.
There area some very difficult decisions to come, but one match in our Round of 16 has been especially divisive. It pits Declan Kidney against Sean Boylan. As of 11am, there were a mere six votes between the two parties. It's so closely fought that we figured we'd dig a bit deeper into the battle to decide who actually deserves to go through on merit.
Silverware
Kidney: Ireland's first Grand Slam since 1947, two Heineken Cups, four Heineken Cup finals, IRB coach of the year 2009
Boylan: 4 All-Irelands, 8 Leinsters, 3 National League titles
The Hard Sell
Kidney: Oversaw the creation of a true Irish sporting institution with Munster before doing what so many others had failed to do by delivering the Grand Slam.
Boylan: Won All-Ireland's in three different decades, delivered unprecedented success to a county that had known little before or after.
Excursions
Kidney: Kidney tried other jobs outside of Munster. It didn't work with Leinster or with the Dragons. Is currently London Irish Director of Rugby.
Boylan: Friends with Tony Wilson and noted herbalist
Charisma
Kidney:
Boylan: Enough to fill the Boyne Valley
It's a very tough call to make: through very different means, both men created sporting phenomenon that were much larger than themselves. Kidney is Ireland's greatest rugby coach. Boylan is one of the most inspiring figures in all of Irish sport. Unfortunately, only one man can advance to the quarterfinals.
Cast your vote below:
