Sir Clive Woodward’s bid to secure the position of France’s head coach was unsuccessful, as the long-serving Toulouse boss, Guy Noves, was announced as the successor to Philippe Saint-Andre after the 2015 World Cup.
Be there for the tackles, the tries, and the triumphs! Get your tickets now for Guinness Six Nations our trusted partner site, viagogo, and gear up for a rugby experience like no other.
The 2003 World Cup winner, who had not coached in rugby since the 2005 Lions tour to New Zealand, found himself among the eight finalists but was edged out by the 61-year-old Noves, who has inked a four-year deal.
Pierre Camou, the president of the French Rugby Federation (FFR), expressed his gratitude to all eight candidates who were interviewed, highlighting their shared passion for the national team and the quality of discussions during the selection process.
However, on December 27, 2017, Noves was relieved of his duties due to a string of disappointing results, making him the first coach in the history of the French national team to face such a fate.
Notably, Woodward’s name had resurfaced on a list of potential candidates to replace the then-under-pressure England boss, Steve Borthwick.
5. Sir Clive Woodward – 20/1
Woodward is the World Cup winning Head Coach who led England’s rugby players to World Cup glory in Australia in 2003.
A former England International and British & Irish Lion himself, prior to his full time coaching career Clive established a successful business career working for nine years with Xerox in the UK and Australia before establishing his own small finance and leasing company.
During Clive’s tenure as Head Coach England moved from 6th in the world to being the number one ranked team, winning every trophy an England team can win.