Ex-PREM coach enters the frame as Warren Gatland rejects Harlequins

Gallagher PREM strugglers Harlequins have been sent back to the drawing board after failing with a sensational move to make former Wales and Lions boss Warren Gatland their new director of rugby.

RugbyPass reported last week that Quins had spoken to Gatland, one of the most successful club coaches in the professional era, who won three Grand Slams with Wales.

But while admitting he had been approached, Gatland, who attended the Wales v Scotland game over the weekend, won’t be taking over at the Twickenham Stoop next season.

We understand that Quins were unable to reach an agreement with the Gatland, who led Wasps to European and Premiership glory, despite having set aside a very healthy budget of over £550,000 a year.

The problem appears to have been that the veteran coach wasn’t keen on taking on the bulk of the coaching, and the club got cold feet over the cost of bolstering their coaching staff.

Gatland, who was linked with the Georgia national team job before Christmas, has been out of the game since ending his second spell as Wales boss just over a year ago, after having won only six of 26 matches.

Re-shuffling their coaching staff has become a real headache for Quins bosses after missing out on former Scotland coach Vern Cotter to the Queensland Reds.

While Dave Rennie is the favourite to become the new All Blacks’ boss, Scott Robertson, Michael Cheika and Head of England Men’s Player Pathways, Mark Mapletoft, have been linked with a return to the club.

Mapletoft has distanced himself from the job, and the latest name to be linked is former Exeter Chiefs head coach Rob Hunter, who is keen to return to the game.

He has been linked with the forwards coach job at Gloucester, but is believed to be interested in a head coach job and could have thrown his hat into the ring.