Laurie Fisher to leave ACT Brumbies for Gloucester job

ACT Brumbies director of rugby Laurie Fisher is set to leave Canberra at the end of the Super Rugby season to become a head coach in the UK.

It's understood Fisher is close to a deal with Gloucester, but no contract has been signed and any details of a potential release from the Brumbies is yet to be finalised.

Fisher said he wasn't in a position to "deny or confirm" the speculation.

Fisher said his focus was on the injury-hit Brumbies' clash against the NSW Waratahs in Sydney on Saturday night with 11 players unavailable for selection.

"I'm not in a position to deny or confirm, the key is to try to get a performance out against the Waratahs and then make a decision about the future after that," Fisher said.

Centre Andrew Smith is the latest to withdraw with a hamstring problem, leaving Robbie Coleman to start in the No 12 jersey and Clyde Rathbone to move to the wing.

Fisher met with Brumbies chairman Sean Hammond on Tuesday.

It is understood Fisher, a former Brumbies head coach, can opt out of the second year of his director of rugby contract if he gives a months notice.

Fisher and Stephen Larkham signed a two-year coaching duo contract at the end of last year after World Cup-winning South African Jake White quit the last two years of his contract.

Fisher was promoted from forwards coach to director of rugby while Larkham moved from backs coach to head coach.

Larkham still has a year left on his contract.

Fisher is regarded by many, including Wallabies captains Stephen Moore and David Pocock, as one of the best forwards coaches in world rugby.

He was Brumbies coach from 2005-08 and then left the capital to move to Ireland.

Fisher returned in 2012 to be part of the White-led revival and was a crucial part in turning the Brumbies from Super Rugby rabble into grand finalists last year.

His departure will leave a massive hole at the Brumbies.

The Brumbies need to win their last two games of the regular season to guarantee a play-off berth.

They can still make the finals if they lose to the Waratahs on Saturday night.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/un...#ixzz35mrBwKPR

Coaches now as well as players? :-( Can't blame them. I reckon we will see a huge number of players heading north after the 2015 RWC. Saw a piece this morning that said both Higgers and Benny Mac are looking to go to Europe after 2015.

The big question is what is the ARU going to do about it? Can they do anything? Certainly not without more money and I don't see that changing in the short term at least. Hey ho :-)