News: Former France captain Philippe Saint-Andre has been sacked as rugby director of Bourgoin after admitting he was a candidate to succeed Steve Hansen as Wales coach.
"Philippe Saint-Andre is not Bourgoin's manager any more," the club chairman Pierre Martinet said yesterday. "To read in the papers that he was in touch with the Welsh Rugby Union was the straw that broke the camel's back. He should have told me about it and he didn't."
Saint-Andre (36), played 69 times for France between 1990 and 1997, 34 times as captain.
He coached English side Gloucester for three seasons, leading them to the European Cup semi-finals in 2001 before leaving England to take the job at Bourgoin. He said on Friday he was a candidate to replace New Zealander Hansen, who is stepping down after this year's Six Nations championship.
"I can confirm that we were contacted by an agent who told us that the WRU could be interested in myself and Laurent Seigne," Saint-Andre said on Friday. "It would be an honour to coach a national team such as Wales."
Seigne, a former international prop, was Saint-Andre's assistant at Gloucester. He is currently coaching Bourgoin and Martinet said he wanted him to stay on. According to media reports, the French pair are among 15 applicants for the Wales job.
Meanwhile, Lawrence Dallaglio has signed a new contract with Wasps that will see him stay at the Premiership side in London for another two years, the England number eight said yesterday.
Dallaglio, favourite to take over from Martin Johnson to captain the world champions, said stability was key to his decision and he had taken a wage cut as part of the deal.
"I've just signed a new two-year contract, and for those people who suggested that I was taking a 25-per-cent cut in salary, let's just say that they were half right," he wrote in the Sunday Times. "From the rugby perspective, if I had wanted to earn more money, I would have moved to another club. There were more than a few offers open to me both at home and abroad.
"But if you have aspirations of playing for England . . . it is better to play for a club in England week in, week out than to be overseas."
