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Eight coaches aiming to get their hands on the World Cup

By PA
Ian Foster and Warren Gatland shake hands prior to the World Cup bronze final between New Zealand and Wales. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)

Eddie Jones’ appointment as Australia head coach means three of rugby’s major nations have new men in charge going into this year’s World Cup.

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Steve Borthwick was last month unveiled as Jones’ successor with England, while Warren Gatland returned for a second stint with Wales.

Here, the PA news agency takes a closer look at the coaches tasked with attempting to guide the sport’s leading countries to glory in France in September and October.

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Eddie Jones (Australia)
Jones was dismissed by England in December following a dismal 2022 but has swiftly returned to the game for a second spell in charge of his native country, replacing the sacked Dave Rennie on a contract until 2027. The well-travelled 62-year-old led the Wallabies to the 2003 World Cup final and finished runner-up for a second time with England in 2019. He also guided Japan to a shock success over South Africa at the 2015 tournament.

Steve Borthwick (England)
Former England forwards coach and captain Borthwick arrived at Twickenham with an impressive CV. He joined Leicester as head coach in 2020 and guided Tigers to the Gallagher Premiership title in his second season. During his playing career as an outstanding second-row forward, he featured in 57 Tests and clocked up close to 400 appearances for Bath and Saracens. His stint starts against Scotland on February 4.

Fabien Galthie (France)
Although Ireland are currently the world’s number one team, France go into their home tournament as favourites. Les Bleus clinched a Six Nations Grand Slam in 2022 and possess enviable strength in depth. Former scrum-half Galthie succeeded Jacques Brunel following the last World Cup and swiftly set about bringing through an exciting array of talent. He has overseen 13 successive wins, including defeating the All Blacks.

Andy Farrell (Ireland)
Former rugby league star Farrell has made a huge impression since succeeding Joe Schmidt. Ireland top the world rankings on the back of a stellar year in which they claimed a historic Test series triumph in New Zealand, toppled South Africa and Australia, and claimed a Six Nations Triple Crown. The Irish have never progressed beyond the quarter-final stage – a record Farrell will be desperate to change.

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Ian Foster (New Zealand)
New Zealand suffered only 10 defeats in 108 Tests during Foster’s time as assistant to Steve Hansen. The 57-year-old has failed to fully convince since promotion to the top job in 2019 and already lost nine of 34 fixtures, including the All Blacks’ first defeats to Argentina. A seven-match unbeaten run has alleviated some of the pressure. Yet Foster, whose contract expires after the tournament, has plenty to do to get the three-time champions firing.

Gregor Townsend (Scotland)
Townsend, who won 82 caps for his country, took over in 2017 and has masterminded some impressive wins, including a first Twickenham victory over England for 38 years. France and Australia have also been toppled but Scotland continue to search for consistency. The Scots suffered an underwhelming pool-stage exit four years ago under the 49-year-old and need to find another gear.

Jacques Nienaber (South Africa)
Nienaber was assistant coach when the Springboks were crowned world champions in 2019 before stepping up after the tournament to allow Rassie Erasmus to fully focus on the director of rugby role. At the time, Nienaber had no experience as a head coach. The 50-year-old has won 16 of his 26 Tests in charge, including a 2-1 series success over the British and Irish Lions in 2021.

Warren Gatland (Wales)
During Gatland’s initial 12-year reign from 2007 to 2019, Wales won four Six Nations titles, three Grand Slams, reached two World Cup semi-finals and were briefly the world’s number one team. The New Zealander was tempted back after a miserable 2022 for the Welsh, which included home defeats against Italy and Georgia, spelt the end for compatriot Wayne Pivac. Gatland, 59, has taken charge of the last three Lions tours.

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Jon 1 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 3 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

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Adrian 5 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

15 Go to comments
T
Trevor 8 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

21 Go to comments
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