Stuart Lancaster In Talks To Take Over One Of The Biggest Clubs In European Rugby

Stuart Lancaster will meet with Toulon owner, Mourad Boudjellal, in Paris on Thursday to discuss the possibility of taking over the head coach’s job at the former three-time European champions.

Reports in France indicate that a two to three year contract is in the offing with a view to hiring someone potentially to overhaul the entire structure of the club.

The controversial Toulon chairman has had a serious falling out with newly-installed head coach, former Italy fly-half, Argentine-born Diego Dominguez, who has been understudying Bernard Laporte for the past six months in order to succeed the one-time France manager now that Laporte is running a campaign to become the next president of the French rugby Federation.

Dominguez, though, has refused to work with one of Boudjellal’s most recent appointments, forwards coach, Marc dal Maso (who worked alongside Eddie Jones at Japan). The upshot is that Boudjellal has begun casting around urgently for possible replacements although Dominguez’s contract has yet to be formally terminated.

Toulon’s 29-21 defeat by Racing 92 in the Top 14 final in front of 99,124 at the Nou Camp in Barcelona on June 24^th has strung Boudjellal into action. Former All Black coach, Graham Henry, who is to take up a consultancy role with Leinster, has also been linked with Toulon. [Telegraph]