Force begin interviewing for new coach

[The InnFORCEr]

Nick Taylor
The West Australian
August 3, 2016, 9:50 am


Western Force will start interviewing hopefuls for their new Super Rugby coach next week.

They have a secret shortlist of six, narrowed down from about two dozen who applied for the job left vacant when they dumped Michael Foley in June with three matches of the season remaining.

Interim coach Dave Wessels and former Force assistant coach John Mulvihill, who missed out on the Queensland coaching role to Nick Stiles, are understood to be on the shortlist while another option is thought to be Scotland assistant coach Matt Taylor.

Matt O’Connor, who also missed out on the Reds job, has been touted as a favourite Scott Wisemantel, former Wallabies, Waratahs and Japan backs coach and current assistant to Jake White at Montpellier apparently initially applied with ex-London Irish boss Brian Smith.

Interestingly, former All Blacks and Chiefs back-rower and Clermont forwards coach Jonno Gibbes was another candidate for the Reds job but there has been no open speculation about his interest in the Force.

Stuart Lancaster, axed from the England job after their world cup failure, and former Springboks coach Heyneke Meyer are two more overseas candidates who may have been ruled out.

A panel of five - the ARU’s chief operations officer Rob Clarke and high performance director Ben Whittaker, Force chief executive officer Mark Sinderberry, RugbyWA chairman Tony Howarth and probably former Force and Wallaby back Scott Staniforth, the player representative on the RugbyWA board - will make the decision.

Meanwhile, the club is expected to announce today that back-rower Gus Cottrell has re-signed with the club.

Cottrell made his Super Rugby debut four years ago and was close to Wallabies selection in 2014 before his season was cut short by an ankle injury.

Nedlands scrum-half Michael Ruru is in talks about a one-year deal while props Vui Shambeckler and Mees Erasmus are likely to be upgraded from the Future Force academy.

The Force have already signed prop Ben Daley and second-rower Ben Matwijow both from the Reds and centre Billy Meakes from Gloucester but still have as many as 10 spots to fill for the 2017 season.

https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/wa...w-coach/#page1

[jargan83]

Not a very secret shortlist is it...

[Buddha Handy]

Not a very secret shortlist is it...

No, but there are a few good quality candidates in there. 2 dozen applications seems like a very high number.

Sounds like they are pretty adamant on having an aussie coach if the shortlist is correct.

[MI5_Dog]

I want someone with a proven track record
not a lot of 'could be', 'might be' and 'give them a crack at it'
What I also DON'T want is any coach that's been at the Force in the last 11 years
You've had your go mate, bugger off.

[Kalahard]

So the 6 are : Wessels, Mulvihill, Taylor, O'Connor, Wisemantel and Smith.

Gee, lucky us.

[jono]

No, but there are a few good quality candidates in there. 2 dozen applications seems like a very high number.

Sounds like they are pretty adamant on having an aussie coach if the shortlist is correct.

not bad that there was 12 applications though - shows that internationally coaches see us as something worth investing time and effort in.

I want someone with a proven track record
not a lot of 'could be', 'might be' and 'give them a crack at it'
What I also DON'T want is any coach that's been at the Force in the last 11 years
You've had your go mate, bugger off.

Agree, and O'Connor didnt particularly do fantastic things for the reds this season either.

So the 6 are : Wessels, Mulvihill, Taylor, O'Connor, Wisemantel and Smith.

Gee, lucky us.

Yeah - not overly inspiring...


I'm trying to guess as to why would they rule Meyer & Lancaster our before an interview. Have they forgotten to pay the internet bill over there and cant skype them in for a 45 min chat?

[MI5_Dog]

I'm trying to guess as to why would they rule Meyer & Lancaster our before an interview. Have they forgotten to pay the internet bill over there and cant skype them in for a 45 min chat?

I suspect that the mandate from the ARU was 'Australians Only!'

[Tazzmania]

Without being privy to confidential information, none of us would know and should know who really applied, what terms and conditions they themselves may have made and what influences if any outside parties have had.

Again the Force have been professional in their dealings as we would expect them to be and I am sure that they will let us know as soon as possible who was chosen and why.

[shasta]

Not a very secret shortlist is it...

About as secret as it is impressive.

[SNOB]

Oh Wow! Some big names there! Not!
Looks like the ARUs trying to keep the expenditure down before the wrap up.

[blueandblack]

...
I'm trying to guess as to why would they rule Meyer & Lancaster our before an interview. Have they forgotten to pay the internet bill over there and cant skype them in for a 45 min chat?

Maybe a question for tonight

[Mr X]

I can tell you as I have it that Meyer and Lancaster "are not a good fit for the Force". Todd didn't even officially apply!
Perhaps If one cannot attend these fantastic member meetings, may I suggest just going and asking the people in charge when ever you like? I know I did and I seem to have gotten better info that way.

[todd4]

Todd didn't even officially apply!

I just didn't think I'd stand a chance!

[shasta]

Simon, your Dad's back

[ranga]

What happened to the "high profile coach"? A couple from around the club and a Reds reject. To me that cuts the list down to 3. The talk is a 45 minute inter view times 3 equals 2 hours and 15 minutes. Also I read that they won't name the coach until October. Tuesday lunchtime at the latest. Only 1 of 2 things can come of an October selection-the squad will be filled mainly without the coaches input or all of the good players will already be signed up. Either way 2017 will be a "do the best you can season" and 2018 a rebuilding one. I just hope today's anti depression pills haven't kicked in and I've got it all wrong.