Kiss and Goosen emerge as Edinburgh candidates

Les Kiss has emerged as a contender to become Edinburgh’s new head coach. The Australian is without a job after the demise of London Irish earlier this month.

Mike Blair announced his intention to step down as head coach of the Scottish club in February, and with the season now over, has signed a deal with Dave Rennie’s Kobe Steelers as attack specialist.

Former Sale Sharks director of rugby Steve Diamond joined Edinburgh on a senior consultancy basis in March, and agreed to oversee the team’s pre-season training while a new supremo is recruited.

Kiss, 58, was an Australian rugby league international and made his name in union as a defensive coaching visionary after switching codes in 2001.

He worked with the Springboks and New South Wales Waratahs before helping Declan Kidney’s Ireland to a first Six Nations Grand Slam in 61 years during 2009. He also contributed to Six Nations titles in 2014 and 2015 under Joe Schmidt.

Kiss’ success with the national team earned him the director of rugby position with Ulster, initially on an interim basis in June 2014, his three-and-a-half-year stint featuring a Pro12 semi-final in 2016.

He reunited with Kidney at London Irish in 2018 and spent the past five years as head coach of the Premiership side, which boasted an illustrious roster of international players and home-grown talent.

Fellow defensive specialist Marius Goosen, who worked under Glasgow boss Franco Smith with Italy, is also understood to be a candidate for Edinburgh.