Coaching duo are not going to leave club, insists Wasps boss Blackett
WASPS head coach Lee Blackett has poured cold water on rumours linking two of his coaches with a move away from the club.
The Rugby Paper claimed on Sunday that Wasps attack coach Martin Gleeson was being lined up for a role in Eddie Jones’ England coaching team.
The former Rugby League star only joined Wasps ahead of the 2019/20 season and took on a bigger role following Blackett’s promotion following Dai Young’s shock exit in February 2020.
“England have not approached us,” said Blackett. “So that would be pure speculation at this moment in time. He’s under contract and if England want him they’d have approached us. We’ve had no approach from England in terms of Glees.”
The same publication also claimed fellow Wasps coach Matt Everard was set to leave the club at the end of the season.
The skills and breakdown coach signed a contract extension in November and Blackett is confident the 30-year-old is going nowhere anytime soon.
“Evs is under a long contract,” he said. “We’ve done a lot with Evs, I can quite easily say I would be gobsmacked if he’s going anywhere. We’ve got long term plans for him, pure speculation on that one.
“He obviously played for the club before I joined. He’s come back as a coach having played for Nottingham, he did a great job in the academy for a couple of years.
“I’ve got a really good relationship with Matt. I really like him, he’s got that great relationship with the players and he gets the best out of them in
I can quite easily say I would be gobsmacked if he’s going anywhere. We’ve got long term plans for him.
Lee Blackett
terms of those skills in terms of the roles he has been doing, our pick-and-go game, a lot of our tight game, some of our plays off nine, he’s done a pretty good job in terms of what he has done there.
The boys really like him. For me and him, we know his future and where he will go, and the role he will take in the future for the club. You like to think he’s fully on this journey with us. He laughed it off when I mentioned the rumour to him.”
However, rumours linking Ian Costello with a move back to Ireland appear more likely to have some substance. The defence coach has been linked with the vacant position of Munster Academy manager.
Costello previously worked as a skills coach for his home province between 2011 and 2014 before becoming the defence coach between 2014 and 2016 under Anthony Foley.
“I’ll know a lot more in the next 48 hours with Coz,” said Blackett.
“Realistically with Cozzy, we know his family situation, he’s been very open with the club, he’s going to go back some time in the next year and a half.
“I’ll know a lot more when that is in the next 48 hours.”