The Gloucester vacancies: 'Cockers will sort that place out for sure'
The Rugby Pod claim Gloucester have been in talks with Richard Cockerill about taking over at Kingsholm following the departures of head coach Johan Ackermann and director of rugby David Humphreys. Humphreys’ exit was announced on Tuesday 18 days after Ackermann decided to up sticks and take up a contract coaching in Japan.
The South African’s surprise leaving led to accusations that a behind the scenes power play was taking place. That has now resulted in the exit of Humphreys after six years at the helm, a turn of events Gloucester CEO Lance Bradley insisted was the Irishman’s own decision.
“To be clear, it was David’s idea to go. He was not pushed out,” said Bradley to the Telegraph. “I read the rumours that David wanted this guy as head coach and the rest of the board didn’t, that absolutely isn’t the case. It isn’t a result of a dispute. He just feels that with the direction the club needs to go in, that it is time for him to move on from. He is a hugely honourable man.”
With Humphreys now ousted along with Ackermann, there is every chance that Gloucester will amalgamate the director of rugby and the head coaching roles into one. It’s believed a shortlist of five candidates has been put together, some free agents, others under contract and one internal candidate, thought to be assistant coach Rory Teague.
Cockerill, the former Leicester boss, is currently making waves at Edinburgh and speaking prior to Humphreys’ exit, Jim Hamilton, the ex-Gloucester captain, said on The Rugby Pod: “Gloucester want him and he’s talking to them apparently.
“I don’t know how I see this unfolding. There would be a part of Cockers I imagine that wants to be Robert the Bruce, so be from England, England ’til he dies and then all of a sudden he is Scottish. He came on here and he was saying ‘we’ as in the Scotland team, not as little we but ‘we’ as in Scotland we. Maybe it’s no longer ‘we’. There is talk of him talking to Gloucester.
“I’m sure after the chat around Gloucester and the culture around them they would probably be a bit reluctant to maybe look within because of some of the issues they have got. Cockers will sort that place out for sure, but I don’t want to see it.
“He has done the Prem, he is killing it in the PRO14 with Edinburgh, the next evolution for him is international. If it’s not England, the ‘we’ for Cockers is Scotland.”
Chart-topping show co-host Andy Goode, who also knows Cockerill from his Leicester days, added about the Gloucester speculation: “He has been clever, hasn’t he? Didn’t he do an interview a few weeks ago where he said he was bang in the middle of his contract at Edinburgh and was looking to extend it?
“Basically when you decipher those words, change them around a little bit, mix it up, what he means is ‘Gloucester, come and get me, pay me half a million quid if you have got it and I will be your director of rugby, head coach, whatever you want me to be’.
“The dynamic around Gloucester is interesting at the minute… behind closed doors is going to be very different from what they put out in the press. From what I hear, Lance Bradley wants Rory Teague to get promoted with the pandemic going on to save money.
“If they get Cockers they are going to have to buy him out of his contract, aren’t they? What is that going to cost? £300,000, £400,000, who knows. It is going to be a chunky sum to get him out of his contract. And then there is other people in the mix, other coaches that are being mentioned.”
Comments on RugbyPass
The value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
3 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
10 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
37 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
10 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
37 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
3 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
37 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
37 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
37 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
37 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
37 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to comments