Stuart Lancaster and Paul Gustard in two-horse race to take Leicester Tigers job
Paul Gustard and Stuart Lancaste r have emerged as two leading candidates in the race to fill the vacant Leicester head coach role next season, Telegraph Sport can reveal.
Lancaster, who coached England at the 2015 World Cup before a feted stint as senior coach of Leinster, was sacked by Racing 92 with immediate effect last month after fewer than two seasons on the outskirts of Paris and with the French heavyweights in 13th place in the Top 14 table.
Gustard, meanwhile, is currently head coach at Racing 92's local rivals, Stade Français, who currently sit bottom of the Top 14 table, having been promoted this season from the position of defence coach with the Parisians having conceded the fewest points in France's top division during the last campaign. The 49-year-old spent five seasons at Leicester as a flanker, moving to London Irish and then Saracens before transitioning into coaching.
Telegraph Sport understands that it is now virtually a two-horse race between the pair, both of whom have international experience. Graham Rowntree, Leicester's legendary prop and the former Munster head coach, is thought to have slipped down the pecking order in recent weeks. Another overseas candidate remains in the picture but both Gustard and Lancaster are ahead in the order of preference with the Tigers.
Michael Cheika, the current head coach who has been linked with the Wales and Australia vacancies, will leave Leicester at the end of the season after one campaign in charge, with his young family having returned to their native Australia. There is still the possibility that the 57-year-old remains as a consultant director of rugby with a head coach on-site in Leicester, although that would be dependent on several factors including Cheika not taking a job elsewhere. The Tigers are currently fourth in the Premiership table and travel to Glasgow in the last 16 of the Champions Cup next month.
The arrival of Lancaster, 55, at Mattioli Woods Welford Road would mark his first job in English rugby for almost 10 years, since he was sacked as the national team coach after the 2015 World Cup.
Gustard, who was defence coach at Saracens and who won a Six Nations Grand Slam as an assistant to Eddie Jones with England, has not coached in his native country since his 2021 dismissal as head coach of Harlequins. The former flanker was, however, on Steve Borthwick's final two-man shortlist to replace Felix Jones as England defence coach, with Joe El-Abd eventually preferred. Between Harlequins and Stade Français, Gustard was defence coach of Benetton in Italy.
The Tigers, who are currently recruiting their eighth head coach in as many seasons, had been planning for Cheika's potential departure long before the Australian's confirmation last month, although given Lancaster's employment with Racing 92, he was not part of that initial planning. Part of the attraction with Lancaster is that he is available immediately, meaning that he could participate in a potential handover with Cheika for the rest of the season. Gustard remains under contract in Paris.
The likelihood of Richard Wigglesworth, England's senior assistant coach and a former Premiership winner with Leicester, returning to the Tigers is understood to have diminished but it should not be ruled out entirely given that he is held in extremely high regard in the corridors of power at Welford Road. Franco Smith and Felix Jones were both on Leicester's initial shortlist but their candidacies did not progress, while Steve Diamond, Newcastle's consultant director of rugby, discussed the position with the Tigers but that dialogue never progressed to a formal stage.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
35 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Why I totally underestimated Leicester Tigers
Some aspects of this domestic campaign have been difficult to rationalise, but we know one thing for sure: Premiership coaches take heed of this website. In the wake of his side's loss to Bath on Friday night, Pat Lam suggested that Bristol Bears had overachieved because 'everyone predicted we'd be eighth this season'. Less than 24 hours later, Michael Cheika revealed that one of the Leicester Tigers analysts had shown him a headline forecasting Sale Sharks to be in the Premiership final. The combative Australian had also been made aware of a misguided mid-April article speculating that Leicester, who were third at the time, would finish as low as sixth. Well, the attention is flattering and accountability is a good thing. We get a fair bit right. But I am happy to admit that I drastically underestimated this Tigers team. Of four critical Premiership fixtures since the Six Nations, I thought they would lose on the road to Northampton Saints and Bristol as well as in both home games against Sale. They won all of them; the first three handily and the latest, Saturday's semi-final, despite spurning nine points off the tee as well as three more after a skewed drop-goal attempt from Handre Pollard. Leicester have responded remarkably to a truly insipid Champions Cup defeat by Glasgow Warriors on April 5, landing five victories from six to navigate a congested league table and set up a defining date with Bath. No doubt they will relish praise being piled on to their opponents during the build-up, even if it is justified. Tigers thrive with a chip on their shoulder. They are better when a little bitter. In that respect, Cheika has been a fitting figurehead for a resurgent, restorative season. This term was never going to be dull and has not been without turbulence. Matt Everard, a hard-working and well-regarded defence coach, was dismissed abruptly following thrashings by Bristol and Toulouse in the space of a month. Leicester conceded 134 points across those two grisly games. Off the field, Cheika opted not to extend his contract and the search for his successor was not easy. Recruiting a fly-half to replace Pollard, a hunt that brought them to James O'Connor, became trickier as a result. Perhaps that uncertainty made it easier to forget that the current Tigers roster still represented a potent blend of youth and experience; a squad pressing up against the ceiling of the salary cap that has ripened. To use the Eddie Jones theory of maturation cycles, they are close to 12 on the clock face and reaching a peak. Nicky Smith, the Wales loosehead prop, always looked an excellent signing last summer and the January addition of electric wing Adam Radwan from Newcastle Falcons has been transformative – a coup for which general manager Richard Wilks deserves praise. Alex Sanderson, the Sale boss, commended Cheika's Tigers for an astute and accurate display on Saturday. Ferocity was a non-negotiable, especially at home, but Leicester were undeniably smart. Crucially, there is a balance to their front-line team now as well. Freddie Steward at full-back is an ideal foil for Radwan and Ollie Hassell-Collins, with the latter enjoying a fine campaign on the left wing. He has plundered 13 tries while growing more assured in defence and as an aerial operator. In the back row, the rangy Hanro Liebenberg and Tommy Reffell complement one another nicely. Nobody could have replicated Jasper Wiese's savagery, though Olly Cracknell has been thunderous at No 8. Solomone Kata's powerful carrying in midfield aids his forwards. Equally, the poise and intelligence of Joseph Woodward at centre has alleviated pressure on Pollard as a playmaker. Another youngster to emerge, Emeka Ilione, is revelling in a defined role; to arrive off the bench and cause carnage at the breakdown. If Cheika has no other lasting legacy in English rugby union, trusting those two will have been worthwhile. His own experience is valuable when stakes are high. Two replacements, Ben Volavola and Izaia Perese, combined for the match-winning try against Sale within seconds of Cheika introducing them. Other moments encapsulated a performance of intuition and subtlety as well as primal commitment. Radwan's first try came from a defence that has been steeled by Kiwi coach Dave Kidwell. Cam Henderson and Liebenberg wrapped up Jean-Luc du Preez at a restart and forced a rushed offload that was coughed up by Raffi Quirke: A dominant scrum ensued, Kata clattered over the gain-line and Jack van Poortvliet spun to feed the speed of Radwan as quickly as possible. Minutes later, George Ford sent Ben Curry through the middle of the Tigers line. Reffell bust a gut to retreat and track Quirke, discouraging an inside pass to the supporting scrum-half that could have yielded seven points. Cracknell eventually snaffled a loose ball: In the second period, after Radwan and Steward had combined to fell Arron Reed, Woodward dropped to the back-field cleverly to claim a Quirke box-kick and call for a mark: Three precious points were eked out when Henderson was alert enough to complete a tackle Joe Carpenter and Reffell bustled in. Bevan Rodd could only clear from the side: Ollie Chessum is another huge asset to Leicester. The sky is the limit for their sole British and Irish Lion of 2025 (so far) should fitness allow and he has won nine of his 10 Premiership appearances this season. Respect for the set piece is a staple of Tigers tradition and with Chessum, Henderson and Liebenberg in a match-day 23, they should always run a polished line-out operation for 80 minutes, securing possession and frustrating rivals with steals. The same applies to the scrum. There are one-two punches at loosehead, with Smith and James Cronin, and at tighthead, with Joe Heyes and Dan Cole. Deputy hookers do not come more reliable and robust than Charlie Clare either and another replacement against Sale was Matt Rogerson, the erstwhile captain of London Irish. George Martin was sitting in the stands and Tigers still fielded an imposing pack. Spearheading it was skipper Julián Montoya, among their departing heroes. A belligerent yet classy competitor, he and Reffell walked directly to the Sale bench to commiserate amid the chaos of Saturday's finale. Montoya's existing relationship with Cheika from their period together at the helm of Argentina has seemed significant. The standing ovation Montoya received from Welford Road as he dragged his battered body over the touchline with 10 minutes remaining in the semi-final was touching and served to reinforce the galvanising force of goodbyes. Pollard, Cole and Ben Youngs are also ending their Tigers careers, as are popular team men like Dan Kelly and James Whitcombe. There is deep familiarity with the final stretch of the Premiership calendar, with several survivors from the 2022 title. While Pollard has not yet won silverware for Leicester, his composure – the Sale aberration notwithstanding – is a big plus. Individuals will grasp for motivation anywhere they can and Cheika is admired for his man management. Van Poortvliet has spoken about his empty feeling at being dropped for the decider against Saracens three years ago. Steward will be burning for further England caps. Collectively, Tigers will feel written off; just the way they like it. And yet, they have the tools to stand firm at Twickenham in key areas: scrum, line-out, breakdown, gain-line and kicking exchanges. Bath are 10-point favourites with the bookies and I am one of many who believe their time has come. By this stage though, Leicester fans almost certainly prefer predictions like that.
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Man Utd discover price tag for Ruben Amorim target ahead of looming deadline
Manchester United's busy summer transfer window is continuing, with boss Ruben Amorim now turning his attention to adding more defenders to his Red Devils squad Italian club Udinese want £30m-plus for in-demand defender Oumar Solet. Manchester United have been tracking the 25-year-old who has made a huge impression since making his Serie A debut in January. Juventus have joined the likes of West Ham, Inter Milan and Napoli who are also watching developments on the French defender who graduated from Lyon's academy. Solet signed a pre-contract with Udinese last year. But the 25-year-old could only play for the Italian side from January 1 after leaving RB Salzburg. Napoli and Lens both tried to sign him but Udinese beat them to it. They made a solid start to the campaign with Solet getting good reviews. Udinese could cash in this summer but it will take a big price - although it could end up being good value if he carries on his trajectory. The 6ft 4in centre half has represented France from under-17s to under-20 level but is also eligible for the Ivory Coast through his family heritage. Solet's contract lasts until the summer of 2027. But he is rapidly emerging as a big prospect attracting major interest from Premier League clubs. But if they want to complete a deal in the first phase of the window, suitors will have to be quick with the window temporarily closing on Tuesday (June 10) at 7pm. The window will then reopen next Monday (June 16), where it will remain so until September. Solet describes himself as being a versatile defender, able to play in several roles across the backline. Interestingly, he also speaks three languages, which can be useful given the international look of many modern dressing rooms. 'I can play in any role in the centre of defence, including in a three-man rearguard. I've been able to watch many Udinese matches since being here. Coming to Italy and joining a club like Udinese is a big step forward for me," he said at his Udinese unveiling. "I want to accomplish great things with the team. I aim to be leader on the pitch that I know I can be and to help the club to the best of my ability. I'll give my all to achieve that. 'There's a big difference between the Austrian Bundesliga and Serie A, but I want to adapt quickly. 'Having team-mates who speak your language is always a good thing. I also speak English, some Spanish and I'm learning Italian, so I can communicate with everyone. However, having someone who speaks French is helpful." Join our new MAN UTD WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Manchester United content from Mirror Football. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
The National
an hour ago
- The National
Why Scotland's win over minnows still augurs well for World Cup bid
Beating Liechtenstein, a landlocked microstate which is sandwiched in between Austria and Switzerland in the European Alps and has a population of little over 40,000 people, will have little if any bearing on the national team's World Cup qualifying campaign. Only Turks and Caicos Islands, British Virgin Islands, US Virgin Islands, Anguilla and San Marino are placed below the soccer minnows in the FIFA World Rankings. The victory was, to put it bluntly, akin to defeating Coatbridge. Failing to prevail in their final outing before qualifying gets underway would have been, to borrow a phrase made famous by the late, great STV commentator Arthur Montford, a disaster for Scotland. This country's opening Group C opponents Denmark will, it is safe to say, provide a far sterner challenge in Copenhagen in September and so will Belarus and Greece thereafter. Read more: Al of that said, this comfortable four goal win was warmly welcomed for a variety of reasons. For a start, it enabled the national team to put the woeful displays and dire results in their last two outings against Greece back in March and Iceland on Friday night behind them and finish what has at times been a difficult season on a positive note. The Tartan Army footsoldiers who had made the journey to Liechtenstein enjoyed their evening in the picturesque and sun-drenched ground greatly and will travel back home in fine spirts and with high hopes for the challenges which lie ahead. There were certainly none of the boos or jeers which were aimed in the direction of manager Steve Clarke by an incensed and disgusted crowd at Hampden last week when it was all over. Scoring not once, not twice, but three times will have lifted Che Adams no end as well. Yes, the opposition was limited to say the least. However, strikers feed off goals and the Torino man had gone over a year without netting for his country. His previous strike had come in the Euro 2024 warm-up game against Gibraltar in Portugal last June. He will have been buoyed enormously by his hat-trick. His opener was his seventh at international level and drew him level with Gordon Durie, John Wark, Robert Snodgrass, Billy Dodds, Andy Gray and Joe Harper in the scoring charts. His next moved him alongside Archie Gemmill, Billy Liddell, John Robertson Snr, Bob McPhail and Ralph Brand. His final effort saw him join Paul McStay, Kevin Gallacher, Joe Jordan, Davie Wilson, Tommy Walker and Ian St John. That is exalted company indeed. (Image: Craig Williamson - SNS Group) The visitors made no fewer than six substitutions during the course of the 90 minutes. But the former Southampton player remained on for the duration. For obvious reasons. His manager was keen for his first choice marksman to claim a hat-trick. He did so in the second minute of injury time with just seconds remaining when he nodded a Connor Barron cutback in. He became the first Scotland player to score three times in one game since John McGinn did so against San Marino back in 2019. One of the most memorable goals that Adams, who has had an excellent debut season in Italy, has scored in a dark blue jersey came against Denmark in a Qatar 2022 qualifier in Glasgow back in 2021. He will fancy his chances of adding to his tally against the top seeds in the section in a few months after this morale-boosting runout. George Hirst will not be short of self-belief either if he is given the nod by Clarke in the meeting with the Scandinavians. The Ipswich Town man was perhaps the only Scotland player who received pass marks during the sorry Iceland debacle. He once again showed why he had been preferred to his more experienced compatriot in attack with a bright and intelligent display. Hirst revelled in the 4-4-2 formation which his manager switched to and opened his account for his adopted homeland in the second half following good work by Anthony Ralston and Adams. The latter flicked on a cross with his head and the striker buried it from close range. It was just his fourth appearance for his country. Read more: It was a classic poacher's effort. Still, he was in the right place at the right time and there is a knack in that. His personal showing, then, augurs well for the future. So too did the fact that Tommy Conway of Middlesbrough came on and got more game time in attack and Kieron Bowie of Hibernian joined him. Bowie was one of no fewer than five debutants. Ross Doohan, the Aberdeen keeper who looks poised to join Celtic this summer, was only called up at the weekend in the wake of the injuries which Angus Gunn and Robby McCrorie suffered on Friday night. He had next to nothing to do. Still, he will have benefitted from the experience. So will Barron of Rangers, Andy Irving of West Ham, Josh Doig of Sassuolo. (Image: Craig Williamson - SNS Group) Lennon Miller of Motherwell made his bow for Scotland against Iceland. But he started next to Billy Gilmour in the centre of midfield and acquitted himself maturely. He set up his side's second when he pinched the ball off of Nicolas Hasler on the edge of the Liechtenstein penalty box and fed Adams ahead of him. It was also encouraging to see Nathan Patterson, who has had such a torrid time of it with injuries since moving to Everton, take over from Ralston and add to his haul of caps. He has been a potent weapon for his country in the past and can be so again if he can get a run of games for his club. It was, it should not be forgotten, only Liechtenstein. But anyone who can remember the narrow and nail-biting Euro 2012 wins over them in 2010 and 2011 will have been relieved by the ease with which the away triumph was secured. It gives Scotland fans a glimmer of hope for the future.
