Paul Gustard is expected to beat Stuart Lancaster in the race to become the next Leicester Tigers head coach.
Telegraph Sport understands that Gustard is now the frontrunner for the role and a deal could be signed in the coming days after talks were held this week.
A former player for Leicester between 1997 and 2002, Gustard had been working as defence coach at Stade Francais but was promoted to head coach last year and then took full control of first-team affairs this week, with the club currently bottom of the Top 14 after winning six of their 17 matches.
Telegraph Sport previously revealed that Gustard and Lancaster were the two contenders to replace Michael Cheika, who is set to leave Leicester this summer after one season.
Gustard was head of rugby at Harlequins for three years and also England’s defence coach when Eddie Jones first took charge, helping to win the Grand Slam in 2016. His coaching career began with a successful spell as Saracens defence coach, while he has also been assistant coach in Italy with Benetton before joining Stade. He has not coached in England since leaving Harlequins back in 2021.
Lancaster recently became available following his exit from Racing 92 at the start of February, after an ill-fated spell left the club in 12th place by the time of his departure. Lancaster had previously rebuilt his career with Leinster as a highly-regarded senior coach, winning multiple trophies before leaving the province last summer.
Other names previously linked with the Leicester role included Graham Rowntree, the former Tigers prop who left Munster in October, and Glasgow Warriors head coach Franco Smith, who has publicly expressed an interest in coaching Test rugby.
Smith, like Cheika, is one of the favourites to become the next Wales head coach, with interim Matt Sherratt in charge for the remainder of the Six Nations following Warren Gatland’s departure after Wales lost in Rome.
Leicester Tigers have been contacted for comment.
