Lions assistant is on shortlist to fill the vacancy at Dragons - reports

Former England scum coach Graham Rowntree is reportedly in the frame to become the next head coach at Dragons, the struggling PRO14 outfit. 

The Welsh region have been on the look-out for a replacement for Bernard Jackman after they sacked the Irishman last December just 18 months into his three-year deal. 

Dragons chairman David Buttress claimed at the time they were seeking a “world class” successor to Jackman and walesonline.com are now reporting that Rowntree is apparently one of four candidates being considered even though he hasn’t previously worked anywhere as a head coach. 

The 2003 World Cup winning prop, who has worked as scrum coach on the last three Lions tours, has previously worked in clubs environments in England, spending time at Leicester and Harlequins either side of his assistant’s role with the English national team. 

He is currently working as an assistant at Georgia, the recent winners of the Six Nations B championship who are in Wales’ pool at the World Cup. He used an exclusive RugbyPass interview last month to signal his availability later this year for alternative employment. 

“I love it [Georgia]. I love working with them and I’m here until the end of the World Cup and then we’ll see what comes,” he told RugbyPass before going on to explain why he opted out early at Harlequins.

“It just got to the point where I looked at what I was doing and what I wanted to be doing and I decided it wasn’t for me. They didn’t want me to go and I had a year to go on my contract, but I decided it was time to leave. 

“I just want to stress it was nothing to do with Paul Gustard coming in. He’s a great signing for the club and is doing fantastic things for them. It just made me think about my family, the commute, the travel and I decided to walk away. Luckily, Georgia rang me up shortly afterwards.”

Forwards coach Ceri Jones is currently in caretaker charge of Dragons until the end of this season after Wales defence coach Shaun Edwards opted not to take the job on a temporary basis.