Exeter Chiefs: Three possible defence coaches following Omar Mouneimne sacking, including former England gurus
Exeter Chiefs are in the market for a new defence coach
Planet Rugby understands Exeter Chiefs defence coach Omar Mouneimne has been sacked with immediate effect, with Haydn Thomas taking the reigns in the interim.
Whilst the former Exeter Chiefs player, who was one of only six players to win both promotion and later win the Premiership title, is a solid defence coach in his own right, there are also some notable options currently on the market should Exeter opt to bring someone in.
Here is a full rundown of the potential options for the post of Chiefs’ defence coach.
Front-runner: Haydn Thomas
The most likely option for Exeter will be current coach Haydn Thomas. The former scrum-half currently serves as a senior coach at Sandy Park, but he has quickly begun cutting his teeth as a defence guru in age-group rugby.
Exclusive: Exeter Chiefs big wigs intervene as defence coach axed after six losses on the bounce
He was drafted into the England U20s coaching staff to head up the defence under Mark Mapletoft and has been credited with transforming that side into the champion team they are now. His impressive defensive system played a huge role in both the Six Nations and the recent Junior World Cup titles. Thomas’ skills as a defence coach have also seen him named as defence coach for England A’s clash with Australia XV in November.
Thomas has also spent a great deal of time in the Chiefs academy, and would have coached a large chunk of the first-team squad there too. The Chiefs head coach position also looks to be in his future somewhere, whenever Rob Baxter or Ali Hepher decide to step back, and giving him more responsibilities could help him on his journey to the top at Sandy Park.
In the mix: Graham Rowntree
Potentially a big ask, but Graham Rowntree is freshly on the market and could be a clever option for Rob Baxter to bring in. Whilst he hasn’t held an official title as defence coach, his work as an assistant and forwards coach at both Premiership and Test level make him an ideal candidate. He is also a proven winner at club level, guiding Munster to the URC title in 2022/23, and this experience could be the kick Exeter need to return to their best.
The timing of this also makes this a perfect move for both parties. Exeter are in desperate need of someone to come in with some fresh ideas and perspective, and Rowntree is also looking for a new challenge, and that could blend quite nicely together to bring the former Leicester man to Sandy Park.
Only issue is, how would he find the shift to defence coach?
Wishful thinking: Felix Jones
This is certainly very unlikely to happen, but it’s not impossible. When Jones’ departure as England defensive coach was announced, Mouneimne was one of the contenders to replace him due to the blitz system, so if Jones was to come in as defence coach it wouldn’t be too much of a change-up.
Jones’ system works virtually the same as Mouneimne’s, to the point where they both use Henry Slade as the focal point of it; but the way it’s run at England is much more effective than Exeter’s version.
Again, this is potentially even a non-starter, but it would be a brilliant move from the Chiefs if they could pull it off.
