Surprise name linked with top Leicester job

Leicester Tigers could turn to veteran Australian Scott Johnson to become their next director of rugby after he missed out on the top job with the Welsh Rugby Union to Dave Reddin.

Johnson, 62, hasn’t worked in club rugby since leaving the Ospreys in 2012 and has been director of rugby for the Scottish and Australian Rugby Unions and coached Canada.

He was a shock name in the running to return to Wales, where he was part of the coaching staffs of Graham Henry and Steve Hanson and briefly served as head coach after Mike Ruddock resigned during the 2006 Six Nations.

Reddin, who was a key member of Sir Clive Woodward’s coaching team when England won the Rugby World Cup in 2003, has also worked for the Football Association under Gareth Southgate.

Wales have lost a record 17 successive test matches and look set to give Reddin, who worked for Woodward on the 2005 Lions tour of New Zealand, their top job, which could open the door for the Tigers.

The Premiership play-off hopefuls have struggled to replace Michael Cheika, who is leaving the club at the end of the season, after failing to pay compensation for their number one target, Paul Gustard, who is staying in France with Stade Francais.

Johnson, who played for the New South Wales Waratahs and Toulon, would be the third successive Australian to hold the top job at Welford Road after Dan McKellar and Cheika.
Australians have been a popular choice to coach the club since they appointed Bob Dwyer when the game went professional in 1996, with Pat Howard and Matt O’Connor also sitting in the hot seat.

Graham Rowntree, who has been looking for another job since leaving Munster earlier in the season, has also been linked with a return to the Tigers, as has Newcastle Falcons boss Steve Diamond, and there have been calls for club legend Richard Cockerill to return. Cockerill is currently head coach of the Georgian national team.