DARYL Gibson is to leave Glasgow next month to re-join Todd Blackadder in a new coaching team at Super 14 side Canterbury Crusaders.
Gibson and Blackadder were key figures during the Canterbury franchise's early dominance of the Super 10/12 in the late 1990s. Both also played together for the All Blacks and The Scotsman understands that they will be unveiled today alongside Mark H
ammett, another former Crusaders team-mate, as the new coaches to take over from Robbie Deans, the new Australia coach.
Officials at Glasgow declined to comment last night, insisting the matter was speculation at this stage, while Crusaders chairman Murray Ellis stated that nothing had yet been decided. However, he admitted that the coaching team could be finalised and announced as early as today.
Blackadder followed his playing career with a year coaching at Edinburgh and a brief assistant's role with Matt Williams at Scotland, while Gibson was still taking his early steps in coaching at Glasgow last season.
One of the players they will soon take charge of, Richie McCaw, could make an early return for the All Blacks this weekend, meanwhile, after a swift recovery from an ankle injury. He and Daniel Braid were both named by Graham Henry at openside flanker for Saturday's Tri Nations and Bledisloe Cup match with Australia as McCaw is given every chance to prove his fitness. Australia will be missing their captain, Stirling Mortlock, who has not recovered from the head knock sustained in the Wallabies' 16-9 defeat of the Springboks last weekend.
An All Black heading this way is Jonno Gibbes, the back row who announced his retirement as a player in Waikato on Monday and was yesterday unveiled as Leinster's new forwards coach.
Closer to home, Robbie Kydd, 26, has left Northampton and returned to Bath, whom he played with in 2003-4, hoping to rekindle hopes of playing for Scotland after featuring in last year's A team.
The full article contains 332 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
