Smith moves back to France as Lyon offer two-year deal

SCOTTISH rugby has lost Tom Smith to the French game for a second time after failing to show much interest in keeping the coach at Edinburgh.

The 40-year-old left Northampton for the capital in 2010 to take his first official step on the coaching ladder, having coached the forwards in the Franklins Gardens set-up towards the end of his playing career. He then took over the Edinburgh pack from Andy Robinson effectively and worked alongside Rob Moffat and Nick Scrivener. He was kept on last year when Moffat and Scrivener left the club and worked this season with Michael Bradley.

However, it is understood that he remained on a year-to-year contract and, unsure about whether he might be kept on this summer, put the feelers out for jobs elsewhere. French club Lyon were one of several to show interest and, despite re-considering a move across the Channel when the SRU did finally put a renewal offer in front of him this month, Smith has decided to take up the two-year offer in France.

As a player, Smith left Glasgow Caledonians for Brive, where he spent two years before joining Northampton.

Lyon were relegated from the Top 14 at the weekend but, under head coach Xavier Sadourny they have big plans to bounce straight back and become title challengers in the coming years.

The club have signed French World Cup players Sebastien Chabal and Lionel Nallet, as well as Welsh hooker Huw Bennett.