Richard Cockerill set to edge out Eddie Jones to take over as Georgia head coach… as he prepares to replace Levan Maisashvili after the Lelos failed to win a game at the World Cup
- Levan Maisashvili left his role as head coach of Georgia after a poor World Cup
- Several candidates were in the running to replace him, including Eddie Jones
- But former England striker Richard Cockerill is expected to take over
Richard Cockerill will beat his former England boss Eddie Jones as Georgia head coach after his shock departure from Montpellier.
Cockerill is in the Georgian capital Tbilisi this weekend to finalize negotiations to succeed Levan Maisashvili as the man in charge of the Lelos.
He will also take part in Saturday's historic European Challenge Cup match between Georgia's home side Black Lion and Gloucester of England.
After his controversial departure from Australia, Jones was important for Georgia, but there is a good chance he will return to Japan and take over from Jamie Joseph.
Georgia Rugby president Ioseb Tkemaladze said: “We have discussed almost every possible candidate. Whether it was Eddie Jones or others, we talked to almost everyone.
Former hooker Richard Cockerill will beat out Eddie Jones to become Georgia's head coach
The pair worked together during Jones' time with England when Cockerill was the forwards coach
'Richard comes for closer conversations. We still have to agree with him on the micro details and hopefully we will. We are close to reaching an agreement.
'If we agree, he will get a long-term offer. The contract has a term of four years.'
After working for England under Jones and his successor Steve Borthwick, ex-Leicester hooker Cockerill joined Montpellier.
But he was dramatically sacked by the struggling France team last month when Bernard Laporte was appointed director of rugby to alleviate the team's poor form.
Georgia has moved quickly to secure his services and it is believed an official announcement will be made soon once the legalities surrounding Cockerill's departure from Montpellier have been sealed.
Joe Schmidt was another experienced figure with ties to Georgia, but the country's rugby powers believe Cockerill is the best fit for an ambitious rugby nation.
Jones – who left Australia after their dreadful World Cup – is likely to return to work with Japan
Georgia parted ways with former coach Levan Maisashvili after going winless at the World Cup
Maisashvili left his role as head coach after this year's World Cup, where Georgia failed to win a match.
Black Lion's match against Gloucester will be the first time a Georgian club has taken part in a major European tournament.
As part of his role in charge of the Georgian national team, Cockerill will also work closely with Black Lion to ensure the country's rugby system functions effectively.