Former Leinster star set to join Castres staff
Castres head coach, former Ireland and Lions lock Jeremy Davidson, has turned to Chris Whitaker to fill his vacant attack coach job at the Stade Pierre-Fabre next season.
Midi Olympique are reporting that ex-Leinster and Wallaby scrum-half Whitaker, 49, who is the NSW Waratahs attack coach, is going to replace David Darricarrère, who is dropping down into the Pro D2 to join Brive next season.
Whitaker, George Gregan’s Wallabies understudy, retired after helping Leinster in 2009 to go into coaching. Davidson, who himself has another year left to run on his deal, is set to hand Whitaker a one-year contract.
Sydney-born Whitaker is a familiar face in French rugby after coaching under Michael Cheika at Stade Francais and then under legendary Wallaby lock Justin Harrison at Narbonne for a couple of years.
In 2016, he moved to Montauban, where he was co-head-coach for two years before returning home to Australia to coach the Sydney Rays in the National Rugby Championship.
He started his coaching career at Leinster, joined the Waratahs as an assistant coach ahead of the 2019 Super Rugby season, and, in March 2021, became interim head coach with Jason Gilmore following the sacking of Rob Penney.
Whitaker, who was part of the Wallabies squads at the 1999 and 2003 World Cups, was an unused replacement as Jonny Wilkinson’s extra-time drop goal earned England a 20-17 victory at Sydney’s Stade Australia.
He stayed on the Waratahs staff when Darren Coleman took over but is now looking to move on and has spoken to Davidson, who had been linked with moves to bring former players Sébastien Tillous-Borde and Jean-Marc Aué back to the club.
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Great to see the biggest clash between the Boks and ABs. The Boks have a better replacement bench and a developing squad for RWC 2027. The ABs could have won but for poor penalty kicks from DMac and a bad decision from Scott Barrett to kick for touch and not at the poles. Le Roux should be pensioned off and either Fassi or Willemse when fit play fullback. Sacha must not try to be too fancy but has great potential. Pollard is still the best 10. Hopefully Libbok gets his chance to play in Argentina. Etsebeth and Marx enjoyed immense games. The ABs are a work in progress but they require better forward like those of old AB teams.
Go to commentsThey also use a far more consistent scale.
Rugby pass seem to have a different scale for each player based on the authors expectations or how much he likes them.
Can't fathom how Moodie and Reece both were a 3.
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