Gaffney cagey on Aussie job

MUNSTER coach Alan Gaffney has had talks with Australia about becoming the No 2 to Eddie Jones in the summer, reports claim.

Gaffney, whose Munster contract expires at the end of May, met Jones and Wallabies manager Phil Thompson in Dublin earlier this month, yesterday’s Sunday Times claimed.

The paper believes Gaffney is on a shortlist with former Wallaby Rod Kafer, who left Saracens in December and is now living in Sydney. The position of specialist backs coach has been vacant since Gary Ella moved on after the 2003 World Cup.

Until the weekend Gaffney had been on another shortlist, with former All Blacks coach John Mitchell, to coach the new Super 14 team, but Mitchell has now been named as the Perth coach. “I can’t say there’s really been anything that firm at the moment,” said Gaffney. “I spoke to Eddie when he was over last week but I can assure you at that point he didn’t offer me anything.”