Stuart Lancaster to Racing 92 may have hit a snag

The long-rumoured courting of Stuart Lancaster by Top 14 giants Racing 92 may have hit a bump in the road – or rather the Parisians have been offered up an alternative.

The former England head coach was first linked to Racing at the start of the summer. Billionaire owner Jacky Lorenzetti is looking to replace outgoing head coach Laurent Travers and the 52-year-old Leeds man is their number choice to fill the void.

Against that Lancaster is hugely regarded at Leinster and he has often spoken of his desire to stay at the Irish giants where he had much success since signing in 2016 as a senior coach. While head coach Leo Cullen has been at the wheel of the province throughout all of Lancaster’s time in the role, the Cumbrian is credited with playing a vital role in turning around Leinster’s fortunes after a three-year spell without silverware.

Delon Armitage – A Mercedes from Martin Johnson & Car Park brawling | RugbyPass Offload | EP 45

Delon Armitage – A Mercedes from Martin Johnson & Car Park brawling | RugbyPass Offload | EP 45

Reports, however, are that Racing’s bid to sign Lancaster are advancing well, with Midi Olympique suggesting that talks have made ‘considerable progress’ in recent weeks and the move is looking more likely than not.

However, there could be a twist. Incumbent Laurent Travers has now indicated that he may be willing to stay in his post for another two seasons according to Midi. It’s potentially an interesting alternative for Racing, as it provides them with a comfortable safety net should the Lancaster deal fall through.

It means that they won’t have to go through the rebuild associated with a new head coach regime and all that comes with that.

With that said, Lancaster’s signature is still the desired outcome for the Parisians, who have been linked with a number of big-name signing on the playing front. All Blacks flyhalf Beauden Barrett has been linked to a move French capital after the Rugby World Cup next year, where he would potentially replace Scotland’s Finn Russell.