Jeremy Davidson secures new Top 14 job 18 weeks after Brive exit

Former British and Irish Lions lock Jeremy Davidson has landed himself a new Top 14 head coaching role 18 weeks after he was dismissed by Brive. Castres reacted to their 17-32 home loss to La Rochelle last weekend by axing Pierre-Henry Broncan. That result left the club in 11th place, 13 points outside the title playoffs with eight matches remaining and just two points clear of 13th place Perpignan in the relegation playoff spot.

It was Castres’ fourth loss in five league matches and having also drawn with Racing on New Year’s Eve, the club haven’t won the Top 14 game since beating Pau on December 4. They also lost all four of their Heineken Champions Cup matches and this downturn in results has now led to the appointment of Davidson as their new boss.

A Castres statement read: “Pierre-Henry Broncan has had a remarkable career with our club. He arrived at the start of the 2020/2021 season as a forwards coach and he then managed the second part of the season as well as last season, punctuated by a Top 14 final. He remained at Stade Pierre-Fabre until last Sunday against La Rochelle.

“The difficulties experienced by the club this season cannot overshadow this very positive assessment and all the qualities of Pierre-Henry who lives rugby with passion and whose ethics, honesty and total commitment I appreciate.

“However, the worrying situation of the club, after its defeat against La Rochelle, recurring shortcomings in our game currently and certain internal difficulties lead us to make a change to try to improve our situation and ensure the maintenance of the CO in the Top 14 and in the elite of French rugby where he has appeared since the creation of professionalism.

“To this end, Jeremy Davidson will act as coach of the club and has signed up with the CO until 2025. The Ireland international played at Castres Olympique during the 1998 to 2001 seasons and began his coaching career at CO as an assistant from 2007 to 2009. He then coached the province of Ulster from 2009 to 2011 then the Aurillac club from 2011 to 2017, the UBB during the 2017/2018 season, and Brive from 2018 to 2022.”