New favourite emerges for soon-to-be vacant Connacht coach role

Former Northampton Saints scrum guru Matt Ferguson has emerged as the favourite to become Connacht’s scrum coach when Colm Tucker stands down at the end of the season.

Ferguson moved to Harlequins as Lead Rugby Transition Coach last August as part of a shake-up of the Twickenham Stoop backroom staff after the departure of Billy Millward.

He carved out a reputation as one of the best scrum coaches in the Gallagher PREM after linking up with Saints in 2018, having previously worked for the RFU and coached England Women.

Ferguson helped the Saints win the Premiership title and reach the European Champions Cup final in the last two of his seven seasons at Franklin’s Gardens.

He was again part of the England A coaching set-up for their autumn fixture against an All Blacks XV side, and credits a meeting with Graham Rowntree for kick-starting his elite coaching career.

“We met in a service station on the M6, the toll road at Norton Canes, and within 15 minutes we were on our knees wrestling each other and talking about angles.

“He said he had come from a hugely successful playing career, but limited coaching, and I was vice versa. We just hit it off.

“He’s a phenomenal human, and he said, ‘I want you as my scrum guru’. I spent three or four years going into England camps with Graham, learning, watching him coach, and my input would be at the end of the meeting,” he said.

RugbyPass understands that Ferguson is now the favourite for the job after talks with former England caretaker coach Richard Cockerill, who was sacked by Georgia and Black Lions in December, never got past the initial stage.

Connacht announced in November that Tucker was leaving the club this summer to become Ireland Men’s U20s Head Coach from the start of next season, and have stepped up their search for a replacement this month.