NORTHAMPTON SAINTS ARE keen on speaking to Wales head coach Warren Gatland about their director of rugby vacancy, according to club president Keith Barwell.
The Aviva Premiership side parted company with Jim Mallinder last week, the 51-year-old’s decade-long stint at Franklin’s Gardens coming to an end following nine defeats in a 10-game spell.
The identity of Mallinder’s replacement remains unclear, but Barwell has confirmed that Gatland — who is set to leave his Wales role after the 2019 World Cup — is among those being considered.
“When we recruited Jim 10 years ago, Warren Gatland was one of those shortlisted,” Barwell told the Daily Mirror. “We decided not to ring him then. Well I thought we’d give him a second chance.
“I won’t be choosing the coach, let me say that, we’ve got a committee that’s doing that. But I want people to understand that we’re starting from the top, not the bottom so, yes, we’re interested in Warren.”