Contract delay has Wolves at Edinburgh’s door as pack coach Smith heads to Lyon

At LEAST one of the coaches who inspired Edinburgh all the way to the Heineken Cup semi-finals will be absent when the club starts pre-season training in July. According to one reliable source within Murrayfield, forwards coach Tom Smith will be in France next year in the second division (ProD2), hoping to help the Lyon Wolves bounce back after the club was relegated from the Top 14. Smith’s exact role within the club is uncertain, as is the immediate future of the current coach Raphael Saint-André.

The former Scotland prop was not available to explain the thinking behind his move but, for the first two years with Edinburgh, the one-time British and Irish Lion was only on a three-month rolling contract.

That deal was extended to one year at the beginning of this season but his wife and children remained at the family home in Northampton and it is thought that the lack of a long-term deal (two years would be the norm) has contributed to Smith’s decision to move.

He has experience of French rugby after turning out for Brive in his playing days before moving to Northampton and Lyon are well backed financially. They have signed Sebastian Chabal for next season and that takes financial clout, even if the breakaway is past his sell by date.

For years the Scottish Rugby Union were castigated for leaving the negotiating of players’ new contracts until May when the rest of the European rugby has them done and dusted early in the year.

Now it seems that this folly has extended to the coaching staff.

If Murrayfield wanted to keep Smith why did they leave it until last week to talk to the former prop?

His move will leave a hole in Michael Bradley’s staff for an experienced forwards coach and fans will hope that a Scot gets the nod.

Carl Hogg’s future with Gloucester is uncertain, Peter Wright is available after leaving Glasgow Hawks, the Edinburgh Accies and SRU age grade coach Simon Cross is touted as one to watch and former Scotland A lock Rob Hunter has done extremely well coaching England’s under-20 team.