Richard Cockerill proche d’un accord avec la Géorgie
Richard Cockerill devrait souffler à Eddie Jones, son ancien collègue en Angleterre, le poste de sélectionneur de la Géorgie, après son départ surprise de Montpellier le 20 novembre.
Selon le Daily Mail, Cockerill se trouvait en effet à Tbilissi, capitale de la Géorgie, ce week-end pour finaliser les négociations en vue de succéder à Levan Maisashvili à la tête des Lelos.
Il devait également assister au match historique de l’European Challenge Cup entre le Black Lion, l’équipe nationale de Géorgie, et l’équipe anglaise de Gloucester, samedi 9 décembre.
C’était en effet la première fois qu’une franchise géorgienne intégrait le championnat européen. Le match s’est soldé par une petite victoire des Anglais 15-10 (uniquement grâce au pied de George Barton qui a tapé cinq pénalités) face à une équipe de Géorgie qui a montré de belles choses.
« Nous sommes proches d’un accord »
« Nous avons discuté avec presque tous les candidats possibles. Qu’il s’agisse d’Eddie Jones ou d’autres, nous avons discuté avec presque tout le monde », a déclaré Ioseb Tkemaladze, président de la Fédération géorgienne de rugby.
« Richard vient pour des discussions plus approfondies. Nous devons encore nous mettre d’accord avec lui sur des micro-détails et j’espère que nous y parviendrons. Nous sommes proches d’un accord.
« Si nous sommes d’accord, on lui fera une offre à long terme. Le contrat sera de quatre ans. »
Un management direct
Réputé pour son approche radicale et brut de décoffrage, Cockerill a connu le succès en tant que directeur du rugby des Leicester Tigers entre 2009 et 2017, avant de passer à Toulon.
Il a ensuite pris la direction d’Édimbourg et a passé quatre ans en Écosse avant de passer deux ans en Angleterre en tant qu’entraîneur des avants.
Après avoir travaillé sous la direction de Jones et de son successeur Steve Borthwick en Angleterre, l’ancien talonneur de Leicester avait rejoint Montpellier à la demande de Philippe Saint-André, alors directeur du rugby du club.
Il a toutefois été licencié par le club en difficulté le mois dernier, lorsque Bernard Laporte a été parachuté au poste de directeur du rugby pour tenter de redresser l’équipe.
« Ça a complètement foiré avec Cockerill », confiait le président Mohed Altrad dans les colonnes de L’Equipe la semaine précédente, sans s’étendre sur le pourquoi de l’aventure qui n’aura duré que quatre mois. « Quand un entraîneur humilie ses joueurs, ça ne marche pas et il faut arrêter », avait-il régi pudiquement.
Il devra travailler avec le Black Lion aussi
La Géorgie s’est empressée de s’attacher ses services et une annonce officielle devrait être faite prochainement, une fois que les formalités juridiques liées au départ de Cockerill de Montpellier auront été réglées.
Joe Schmidt était une autre figure expérimentée visée par la Géorgie, mais les autorités du rugby du pays estiment que Cockerill est le meilleur candidat pour une nation de rugby ambitieuse.
Levan Maisashvili a démissionné de son poste de sélectionneur de la Géorgie à la mi-novembre, après la Coupe du Monde de Rugby, au cours de laquelle la Géorgie n’a remporté aucun match.
« Le technicien de 47 ans a également quitté le poste d’entraîneur principal de la première franchise professionnelle géorgienne, le “Black Lion”, qui tentera de remporter la Rugby Europe Super Cup pour la troisième fois consécutive en novembre-décembre, après quoi elle participera au deuxième tournoi européen des clubs, la Challenge Cup, pour la première fois de son histoire », avait rappelé souligné la fédération géorgienne de rugby dans un communiqué.
Dans le cadre de ses fonctions à la tête de l’équipe nationale de Géorgie, Richard Cockerill devrait donc travailler également en étroite collaboration avec le Black Lion, ne serait-ce que pour s’assurer que le système de formation au rugby du pays fonctionne efficacement.
Comments on RugbyPass
SACK HIM !
1 Go to commentsSafas are so triggered by Ireland. 3 consecutive losses, incl RWC. 8 losses out of last 12 Tests. Always excuses, of course, with Bok fans. Now Rassie with his “88%” nonsense, the Claytons Excuse is an embarrassment to Bok teams of the past when every test mattered. Their fickle mojo will be on edge for the Ireland tour. Have the referees been appointed yet ? They will need security. Have WR laid out strict guidelines for TMO’s and replays on the stadium screens ? Will the constant stoppages from Bok forwards for cramps and bootlaces be tolerated ? We’re not talking a dominant Springbok team here, they won the LOTTO Cup and they know it whether they admit it or not. The Disney doco has their fans positively fermenting internally, its going to be a nasty hangover if they get beaten on home soil. What will the excuses be then……
84 Go to commentsGreat role model.
2 Go to commentsOne significant tell, not a single Waratahs player stopped to whinge to the ref about Finau’s tackle. They got on with playing the game. Great tackle.
8 Go to commentsWouldn’t be a bad move if Ireland pulled into SA with a young side. Particularly in Pretoria. Invaluable experience getting thumped in the bosveld.
84 Go to commentsIreland. The Princess Diana of Rugby. I never cheered so much for a team as i did for the All Blacks in that QF.
84 Go to commentsWill be great to see the Leinster first XV back in action again after their cotton wool time…
1 Go to commentsLooked up Grant Constable on google and reply was doppelgänger for Ben Smith
84 Go to commentsIt is so good that we now all get excited and debate who is best and emotionally get involved. We all back our teams which is great. Up until about 15-20 years ago, NZ was basically on its own, and then Saffa, Aussie and sometimes French and English were there. We now have at least 5-6 really top sides and another 4 who keep improving. This is so healthy. So we should not resort to rubbish comments and unhealthy debate, but rather all be chuffed that the product we watch is not competitive, exciting and often uncertain. It would be so good if World Rugger could find a way to align the rules to professional players as well as spectators. Live rugby games are SO boring as there is SO much down time as we wait for refs and TMOs and whoever else to look at every small event going back endless phases with the hope of eventually find a minute infringement to then decide cancel what was a wonderful try. This is the ultimate cork back in the bottle moment and feels like every balloon is always being popped. Come on- we must be better with the rules.
84 Go to comments“upon leaving said establishment I tripped over a stool knocking some bottles into the air and as I fell I accidently dislodged a police officer’s teaser who was passing by on an unrelated matter there by landing on said taser which caused it to discharge 50,000 watts into me. Out of shock I shouted Ireland are going to win the world cup. Upon waking up I apologised for the distress caused by my Ireland comment. The matter is closed. If you wish to pursue this matter may I remind you what I told Wayne Barnes when he sent me off. I AM A BIG ASS MAN”. Or was it “I AM A BIG ASS, MAN” or was it “I AM A BIG ASSMAN”?
2 Go to commentsThe only championship the Boks hold are: Great value for the incompetence of referees during the RWC Moaning endlessly and champions of spewing utterly ignorant 💩 at all times. Displaying the dangers of a third world education End of.
84 Go to commentsSouth Africa and Rassie do a phenomenal job of treating the 4 years in between World Cups as nothing more than a training exercise to build squad depth. The Six Nations money that keeps Irish rugby afloat is unfortunately too important to allow the same approach, and basic population size means we'll never get close to matching the depth of South Africa, England and France. That being said, Irish rugby is in a relatively good place and slowly improving inch by inch. If the other three provinces can pull the finger out and actually develop some players it'd be even better.
84 Go to commentsGood on Clarke for taking on the criticism and addressing his deficiencies, principally his laziness.
2 Go to comments“It is the people’s favourite against the actual favourite. It is the people’s champions against the actual champions. I’m joking, but it’s going to be a fantastic series.” Why did Darcy make that joke knowing it would be used as click bait? Why did RP headline it as a serious comment? Anyway, the tired comment isn’t very astute. SA players may have played more games etc. Darcy over estimated as a pundit.
84 Go to commentsNot sure Frisch will ever make the French team with Depoortère and Costes waiting in the wings to take over from Danty and Fickou.
1 Go to commentsThe Irish are tired and the Boks are old. The test series won't confirm who is best in the world, it will confirm which team needs to pursue the task of rebuilding with the most urgency.
84 Go to commentsGrant, the first time I have seen an article written by you. Maybe I have missed your previous stuff. These days all professional players effectively play a common season so all top players are equally tired, or rested. That is the job of the coaching ticket to build squad depth and juggle resources so players are ‘ fresh’ when the big games come. Possibly Ireland are less inclined to juggle squad compared to Rassie, who is prepared to take the risk to rest players as well as build depth throughout the year so come WC he has a full squad, experienced and rested enough to win 7 games. After all, to win WC you need to get through the tournament and then win the final big 3 games. Ireland should try and build a bit so come final 3 they are ready. So far only played final 1(QF). I am so looking forward to the Irish tour. Hopefully Rassie has enough time to align his guys, as he draws them from across the globe, and not from 2 sides locally( eg Leinster, Munster). No excuses, going to be exciting.
84 Go to commentsIn football, teams get fined and sometimes docked points for deliberately fielding weakened teams yet Leinster can pretty much do as they please with no comebacks. Could it be because Ireland run the URC? Could it be that Ireland run the ERC? Whichever it is, it stinks!!
6 Go to commentsIreland are only the People’s Champions in Irish eyes. The rest of the world do not care for them very much because of attitudes of people like Gordon, Ferris, Best, Jackman…I could go on!!
84 Go to commentsNot sure how Karl Dickson can ever ref a Quins game, he played for the club for 8 years as understudy to Care and is still close friends with half the team
3 Go to comments