A 7 man England shortlist to replace Gustard

As much as the news that Paul Gustard would take over as Harlequins head coach has been celebrated by the Quins faithful, it has created equal levels of anxiety for England fans.

To lose your defence coach just over a year out from a Rugby World Cup is not standard practice and the Rugby Football Union will need to move swiftly this summer to identify and approach the suitable replacement and then get them in ahead of the 2018/19 season.

We have put together a shortlist of candidates that Eddie Jones and the RFU are likely to be looking at over the next few months.

Wayne Smith

Seemingly forever linked with England coaching roles, could Smith and the RFU finally team up ahead of the 2019 RWC?

“The Professor” has been one of the masterminds behind the All Blacks’ most recent successes and though he stepped down from his role with New Zealand last year and was diagnosed with prostate cancer back in January, Smith has continued to keep his hand in, working with Melbourne Storm in the NRL, as well as roles in Italy and Japan.

Could the lure of another RWC and a fresh challenge be enough to bring Smith out of semi-retirement?

Jason Ryles

Sticking with the Melbourne Storm, this Australian rugby league coach is well-acquainted with the England environment, having worked with the group during the autumn internationals in 2016.

It would be a bold move for the RFU to appoint a man with next to no union coaching experience, but Jones would have good insight into what he brings to the mix and, should Jones fight his corner, that may be enough to get the RFU to try and poach him from the NRL.

Shaun Edwards

Edwards was reportedly in the mix to become Quins’ new head coach, but having missed out on that role to Gustard, could he take the former Leicester Tigers and London Irish man’s spot with England?

In the recent history of tit-for-tat exchanges between Jones and Warren Gatland, luring away Gatland’s defence coach would certainly mark a new high for Jones and the RFU, but any compensation deal would not come cheap.

Alex Sanderson

The Saracens coach stepped in for Gustard when he left north London and will be tipped by many to do just the same in south-west London this summer.

He has kept the Saracens defence playing at a high level, despite also having to shoulder the burden of being the club’s forwards coach, and he’d be a natural fit to replace Gustard in Jones’ coaching staff. There is no denying Jones’ fondness for Saracens coaches, either, having previously brought in Gustard, Steve Borthwick and Rory Teague into the England set-up.

Ali Hepher

Not a defence coach in the strictest sense, but with England also in need of an attack coach, could Hepher help fill both roles?

He has done a sterling job with the Exeter Chiefs and, like Ryles, has previous experience of working with Jones and England on a short-term basis. The toughest sell to Hepher may well be giving up his position with Exeter, for a role with England that cannot be guaranteed to last beyond the RWC.

Joe Worsley

The former Wasps flanker has taken a slightly different route to most English coaches, learning his craft in the Top 14, where he has operated as Bordeaux’s defence coach for the last six years, working under Raphaël Ibañez and more recently Teague.

Whether or not Worsley would be interested in returning to England at this point in his career remains to be seen, but he would certainly bring a unique insight into the team, offering a knowledge of a culture within the game rarely experienced by previous England coaches.

Brendan Venter

Could the man who orchestrated “the Fox” and made Jones so irritated at Twickenham last year be the final piece of the jigsaw to see England push for RWC glory?

Venter has several commitments currently within and outside of rugby, but the RFU have shown they’re not afraid to stump up compensation when they identify their key target. Again, it’s another appointment that would fit well with Jones’ Saracens connections.