Leinster blow as coaching duo quit

LEINSTER are on the lookout for two new coaches with the confirmation from Michael Cheika that assistants David Knox and Mike Brewer will be leaving the province at the end of the season.

The imminent departure of both men is a blow to the province but that was tempered somewhat yesterday by confirmation from both Chris Whitaker and Ollie le Roux that they are contemplating signing up for another year.

Knox’s return to Australia has been flagged for some time now but Brewer’s intentions have only recently come to light and Cheika now finds himself looking to recruit a new backs and forwards coach for the 2008-09 season.

The head coach’s own contract is up this year but Cheika is all but guaranteed to remain on in Dublin. He is currently in talks with the branch over a new deal.

“Knoxy wants to go back to Australia and live at home for a while,” said Cheika. “Mike has spoken to me about wanting to be a head coach and that is normal. People develop and it would be nice if you could bring people through and take over your spot but it doesn’t always work that way.

“If Mike does go it is because he wants to go down that road and these things happen. Kurt (McQuillan, the third assistant coach) is staying. It’s a natural process and they are not going to go until the end of the season.”

Knox’s wish to move back to Australia has been known since last November, allowing plenty of time for feelers to be put about for his replacement and Alan Gaffney is still the leading contender.

Currently Director of Rugby with Saracens in England, Gaffney has experience with both Leinster and Munster. He also worked under Eddie Jones as the Wallabies’ back coach and is a member of Cheika’s own Randwick club in Sydney.

“I know there has been a lot of talk about him and Ireland as well but I wouldn’t be able to talk about that. But I am definitely looking around at this stage.

The departures of the two coaches may yet be offset to some degree by imminent decisions from another southern hemisphere pair in the forms of le Roux and Whitaker.

The South African prop signed from the Cheetahs late last year on a short-term seven-month contract and admitted yesterday that, with a young family and the winter weather, it has been difficult to settle.

Like Whitaker — though injury has interrupted his season — has enjoyed the experience culturally, both on and off the pitch, and seems willing to stick around for another year.

“The club is talking at the moment to see if they’re happy and, at the end of the day, that’s what goes. This team is a really good team,” said le Roux who will also turn 34 in May.

Whitaker was less committal about his plans for next season. Injured since the defeat in Toulouse last October, he is concentrating on returning against Cardiff this weekend but he did admit that he would love to keep playing beyond the summer.

Chris Keane, Cillian Willis and Guy Easterby, who was plucked from semi-retirement, all filled Whitaker’s boots at various stages but Cheika clearly feels the need to add more quality to the number nine position.

Eoin Reddan was offered the chance to return from England by Leinster in recent weeks but the former Munster man decided to remain at Wasps where he has blossomed in the past three seasons.