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James Coughlan poised to take charge at Biarritz – report
Former Munster and Pau No8 James Coughlan has been linked with a return to the game in France as the new sporting director of Biarritz, the Pro D2 strugglers.
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Olympique are a very different club these days from their Top 14 title-winning heyday of the mid-noughties, an era accompanied by two appearances in the Heineken European Cup final.
They are currently 14th in the second-tier table and not yet mathematically safe from the drop with two matches remaining in their 2023/24 campaign.
However, change is afoot following the recent departure of owner Jean-Baptiste Aldige and L’Equipe have reported that Coughlan, who has taken a year out from coaching after assisting Toulon to EPCR Challenge Cup glory last term in Dublin, has been tipped to take over the team.
If he does, he would become the second Irishman at the helm in Biarritz in the last decade as Eddie O’Sullivan, the former Ireland head coach, was in charge there for the 2014/15 season following their top-flight relegation. He exited just months into the following season.
"We have been in horrible situations that guys haven’t been used to."
– From relegation fears to chasing trophies with Eben and co, James Coughlan talked through w/@heagneyl??? his roller-coaster first year assisting Toulon.#Springboks #LOUvRCT #ICYMIhttps://t.co/DzMzwftCPw
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) December 31, 2022
Nine years later, Coughlan is now poised to take charge. “The revolution is taking shape at Biarritz Olympique,” began the L’Equipe report. “With the departure of Jean-Baptiste Aldige confirmed, the buyers, led by Shaun Hegarty, Flip van der Merwe and Marc Baget, are busy preparing for next season.
“The 14th team in Pro D2 are looking for a new sporting director. According to our information, they have set their sights on the Irishman James Coughlan (43 years old). Discussions are well-advanced between the two parties.
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“The former Munster and Pau back-rower has had several experiences on French staff, first as coach of the forwards of Provence Rugby and then as head of defence for Brive and then Toulon.
“According to our information, he could be accompanied by Boris Bouhraoua (39 years old) who has played for Stade Francais but also for the Algerian national team. His profile as a coach pleases Biarritz very much.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Dupont sees opportunities where there wasn’t one until he makes it so. Utter class.
1 Go to commentsThese are the guys that do the cohesion predictions? That will be a very interesting review and they have likely already told the Crusaders of their expections for them given such a young and inexperienced squad without all their injured and departed players. I wonder if any of that will get leaked out, perhaps only if the cohesion metric predicted such a season? Actually even that would like badly upon the backoffice, I suspect it likely we will never know what Gain Line Analytics made of this season now! Unless the PUs put its publication to vote?
11 Go to commentsCurrently across the super franchises the forwards choices for Robertson is in the luxury of the competitions depth for selection . However same can’t be said regarding selection of the backs, especially the inside backs. I believe that’s where his dilemma will be. If he can’t get mouanga for the start then he should forget him and move on.
27 Go to commentsIf they had another round up their sleeve then no doubt the sadas wouldv been top8. I say leave things alone and get into the next season I rekon the turn around will carry on.
11 Go to commentsSimilar to Arran Smith in his style of application.
5 Go to commentsSave your money. Just learn from the bad stuff and play better next year. Lost loads of key players and had half the team out broken for most of the season.
11 Go to commentsJosh Ioane has been great for opposition teams all season. The sooner the Chiefs unload him to MP the better.
6 Go to commentsMunster have very good back row stocks nowadays, lots of guys with very high potential. Okeke is unlucky not to get a contract. If he came along 10 years ago, he almost certainly would have. Could be very good for Coventry.
1 Go to commentsGreat article! Love that you point out so much that is positive, and back it up with quotes and clips.
1 Go to commentsNo scapegoats. No knee-jerk reactions. Just excuses in an expensive report under file 13. I’ll give the saders some free consulting - no planning after Razor. Just let things fall flat to rebuild. Easy.
11 Go to commentsJosh Bayliss was the early sub for Barbeary
1 Go to commentsHis deficiencies in defence must be major and beyond rebuilding because on attack he has a unique set of skills matched only by a combination of Mark Telea, Shaun Stevenson and Etene Nanai Seturo. His aerial and kicking game is next level and he displays a contempt for one on one situations. We've become obsessed with our no. 11 being a power weapon ignoring the better multi faceted option. Mark Telea is helping to change that mind set, Salesi Rayasi would advance that too.
6 Go to commentsWayne barnes should join the Queen
271 Go to commentsHope both you dirty mutts get cancer and die
41 Go to commentsOqueef was on the saffa pay roll , needs his head stomped
180 Go to commentsChiefs miss a tight 5 of serious grunt. Missing Guzzlers.scrum power and the Blues have spent the last.few yrs nicking their props. Will have to start better than recent matches to stop the Reds.
6 Go to commentsWith the civil war going on over in NZR you have to wonder if these guys can afford to throw money around on consulting firms? Consultants just going to charge them thousands for the privilege of telling them that the brain drain is hurting them, they played like pork chops & maybe some insights gleaned from reading the various rugby blog posts with a couple of graphs thrown in to dicky the report up. My suggestion is they forego the consultants and get a subscription to watch the URC, English Premiership, Top14 and EPCR competitions so that they can learn a bit from all the players and coaches that have left already NZ.
11 Go to commentsI am pleased about the progress of Canada and their recent success. What concerns me slightly is the the PWR league in England has become the breeding ground for other countries’ players with nearly half of Canada’s team playing there. Long term sustainability of good international teams depends on developing their own leagues and systems. They cannot rely upon England forever.
1 Go to commentsShe has a good sense of the perfect fly half but I agree with her mother about the disfiguring tattoos. I shall watch her progress with interest.
1 Go to commentsSurprised Ireland haven’t already nabbed Rayasi. So much competition in the back three in all NZ Super teams that you need a coach who believes in you and will select you regularly.
6 Go to comments