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The ultimate reason Kingston lost his job and why more could follow
By Chris Jones
Harlequins failure to qualify for the European Champions Cup is the reason John Kingston lost his job as director of rugby and other members of the coaching set-up could also face the axe.
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RugbyPass understands that an audit of the coaches is currently underway following a dismal season that sees the former Premiership champions with just seven wins from their 19 league matches to date having also failed to make any impact on their return to Champions Cup after three seasons of failing to qualify for Europe’s premier competition.
High profile players such as Joe Marler Chris Robshaw and Kyle Sinckler took to social media to apologise to the fans who had booed at the final whistle after the dreadful performance in the 35-5 loss to bottom club London Irish on Saturday.
It was a defeat that increased the view that Kingston had lost the dressing room, however, we have been assured this is not the case.
Kingston, who will leave his role after 17 years with the club at the end of the season, was tasked with driving the team into the top four and ensuring Champions Cup rugby and has paid the price of failure to achieve both targets. Now, the focus will fall on head coach Mark Mapletoft, forwards coach Graham Rowntree, defence coach Nick Easter, attack coach Nick Evans, skills coach Colin Osborne and assistant forwards coach Adam Jones.
Quins are, we also understand, in the process of assembling the panel that will oversee the worldwide search for a replacement for Kingston although the emphasis may switch to appointing a high profile head coach as the focal point for a new regime with a director of rugby then tasked with handling player contracts and negotiations with agents along with other off the field matters.
Quins chiefs accept that with just over a year until the World Cup in Japan, their task may be more complicated with a number of high profile jobs possibly becoming available after that tournament. The club, one of the great names of the game, is playing down the recent agreement signed with the New Zealand RFU insisting that was being discussed for nearly two years and does not involve any input into the in the running of the professional rugby side of the club.
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Instead, it revolves around coaching and playing opportunities for members of the men’s and women’s sections along with commercial co-operation as Addidas are involved with both parties.
Stuart Lancaster, the former England coach, will be one of the favourites to land the job but he has recently signed a new deal with Leinster where he has made such a major impact following the 2015 World Cup debacle. Lancaster is keen to experience coaching in the Southern Hemisphere and Quins will have to work hard to convince the Leeds based coach to get involved in English rugby again.
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