Not long after a Women's Rugby World Cup that led to much soul searching, the IRFU's decision to change the role of head coach from a full time position to a six month part time role has been met with consternation.
Tonight, Joe was joined by former Ireland captain Fiona Steed and the Irish Independent's Ruaidhri O'Connor to look at the decision and the potential consequences.
Steed discussed the rationale behind the IRFU's decision but also scrutinised the timing in regards to replacing previous head coach Tom Tierney.
"They knew that was going to happen before the World Cup," she said of Tierney's move into another role.
"So they shouldn't be advertising this interim coach or whatever two months after the World Cup. They already knew that he wasn't going to be continuing so a plan should have been in place. It can't be a part time role. It can be short term if everybody knows what the story is and you put somebody in there and they do the job for the Six Nations because we have a bigger plan, because we have a coach or coaching team that's available from the end of the year or the end of this season that will drive women's rugby forward."
Fiona Steed of Ireland ©INPHO/Lorraine O'Sullivan
She added that in relation to the women's XV game in Ireland, that "we can't let it be down-graded" in favour of Rugby 7s or otherwise.
"15-a-side rugby is our sport of choice here in Ireland and people have soldiered long and hard since 1993 to promote it and to grow it - and to grow it to the point, it has to be said, of a successful point where we were in the semi final of a World Cup in 2014, where we have a grand plan, where we have Six Nations titles on the back of that," said Steed.
"So we can't allow it to be down-graded. That just can't happen."
And for the players, who have no November Internationals scheduled this year, she feels there should be "more respect" for them in regards to giving them an indication about future plans for the international team.
"Do you think if Rory Best didn't know where his team were going to be, where the squads then were going to meet, and yet we're playing France in the opening game of the Six Nations, that just wouldn't happen," she added.
"Whereas these girls who put so much into the Six Nations and into the World Cup last year, yes they didn't perform, they know that, they would have done their own internal player review of the performances. Nobody's debating that they didn't perform but the ones that didn't retire want to get back out and what we don't want to happen is we suddenly lose them then."
Steed continued: "These girls deserve more going out to play against France on February the 2nd or 3rd."
Progress appeared to have been made up to the Women's Rugby World Cup this summer but as Steed said, "Now, we're back talking about stuff that we shouldn't be talking about, that they're not getting the support that they deserve."
O'Connor also gave his perspective on the IRFU's decision:
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