Steve Diamond and Lee Blackett have been reportedly linked with a move north of the border.
It has been rumoured that Edinburgh are viewing Diamond and Blackett as potential replacements to Mike Blair, with the Scotsman expected to leave Edinburgh at the end of the season.
Edinburgh have not been up to par this season, and currently sit at 12th in the United Rugby Championship. Five wins in 15 games is cause for concern in the Scottish capital, with Blair expected to advocate his position on a mutual basis. Edinburgh have been performing stronger in Heineken Champions Cup, and are set to face Leicester Tigers in the Round of 16.
Diamond has been without a club since Worcester Warriors’ financial collapse in late September 2022. The 55-year-old is a free agent who unlike Blackett, is yet to join a new club after the Warriors went into administration. Lee Blackett joined the Scarlets at the beginning of November last year, after Wasps’ entered their own financial collapse.
The Rugby Paper links the Scarlets Attack Coach to the upcoming Edinburgh vacancy. If offered, Blackett would likely accept the position, given the full Head Coach responsibilities. However, rumours are now also circulating on Steve Diamond’s future, with the former hooker also in the discussion for Blair’s role.
Steve Diamond has recent silverware on his coaching CV, as he took Worcester Warriors to win the Premiership Rugby Cup, in a dramatic final over London Irish. The 25-25 draw was decided on tries scored, with Warriors edging out the Exiles for the trophy.
Prior to this, Diamond was a mainstay at Sale Sharks, as a one-club player and also enjoying two coaching spells at the AJ Bell Stadium.
Firstly joining the coaching set-up with former Sale teammate Jim Mallinder, Diamond worked with Sale from 2001 to 2004, before departing for Saracens. Diamond return to Saracens in 2011 until 2020, enjoying nine more seasons at the club, where he had elapsed 350 caps with on the field.
Ranked: The Highest-Paid Player At Each Gallagher Premiership Club
Starting from the lowest wage, here is the ranking of the highest-paid players at each Gallagher Premiership club for the 2022-23 season.
#11. Matias Moroni (Newcastle Falcons) – £320,000
Matias joined the Falcons in the summer of 2022, having helped Leicester Tigers to win the 2021-22 Gallagher Premiership title.
Starting in the Twickenham final for the Tigers, the Buenos Aires native brings a huge amount of big-game experience to the North East and boasts ‘intensity’ as his chief attribute.
Capped more than 50 times by Argentina, he has also represented his homeland at Sevens during the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, having began his career with Club Universitario de Buenos Aires (CUBA) in his home city.
#10. Adam Hastings (Gloucester) – £450,000
One of Gloucester Rugby’s biggest signings this season, Hastings will be looking to bring his attacking flare and experience to Kingsholm.
A Scotland international, the fly-half joins the Cherry & Whites from Glasgow Warriors where he has excelled since arriving in 2017.
With Premiership experience having previously played at Bath, Hastings’ arrival at Gloucester Rugby is hugely exciting and the club is set to have good competition for places at fly-half.
#9. Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby) – £450,000
Underhill has developed into a world-class back rower at Bath Rugby.
He came on to the scene at 17 featuring a couple of times for Gloucester before switching to Ospreys where he firmly introduced himself with Wales and England vying for his international commitment.
Born in USA, Underhill did captain England at Under-18 level and moved to Bath Rugby in 2017, making his full international debut in Argentina following on from a non-cap appearance against the Barbarians.
#8. Marcus Smith (Harlequins) – £460,000
Smith’s rapid rise shows no signs of slowing down – it took barely a year for him to go from captaining Brighton College in an unbeaten season to involvement in the senior England squad.
Marcus became the second-youngest Premiership debutant in history, behind George Ford, when making his Harlequins bow against London Irish aged 18 years and 200 days in September 2017.
The fly-half made 28 appearances for Harlequins in all competitions during the 2017/18 season, scoring three tries on his way to 208 points. He was named as an apprentice in the England party for the Old Mutual Wealth series that autumn and continued in that role during the 2018 NatWest Six Nations. He made his Test debut in 2021 against the USA and contributed 13 points, including a try, to their 43-19 victory.
In 2021 he was called up to the British & Irish Lions squad and kicked all seven conversions in their game against the Stormers. Steve Borthwick named Smith in his squad for the 2023 Guinness Six Nations Championship.
