News: Matt Williams will decide on Wednesday whether to stay on as Leinster coach or accept a lucrative offer from Saracens' owner Nigel Wray to become director of rugby at the London club in succession to Francois Pienaar. His decision will follow one last round of discussions with both Saracens and the IRFU over the next 48 hours.
Although Saracens are believed to have offered Williams a more financially rewarding package, it seems the IRFU remain well-positioned to retain the former New South Wales Waratahs coach if they can give him the kind of autonomous role which the Welford Road club would invariably grant him. As Wray has stated since the departure of Pienaar, his ownership style is to give the club's director of rugby pretty much complete control without any interference from him or other club officials.
As well as his recent dialogue with Saracens, Williams could only have been impressed with the professional infrastructures in place at clubs like Northampton, Newcastle and especially Leicester, through Leinster's regular exposure in the European Cup over the last three seasons.
Speaking for the first time about his position since Saracens initially made him an offer about four weeks ago, Williams revealed it will be the "toughest decision" he's had to make in his coaching career.
Williams confirmed he will make one more visit to Saracens today, and in the meantime his agent, John Baker, will have one more meeting with IRFU officials. Williams stressed that it was not his intention to make this into a Dutch auction.
"I am making this visit to London out of common courtesy to them, as it was something I promised to do before finally making my decision. I'm trying to be fair to both parties."
Indeed, as things stand, both the IRFU's and Saracens' offers to Williams are final.
Co-incidentally, his mother is visiting from Sydney, and with his wife, Chrisanne, and three young children to think of, this will be very much a family decision.
"I want to talk this through Chris. I know it's been dragging on a bit, but it's a very big decision, probably the last big decision of my coaching career, or at any rate the penultimate one."
To a man, the Leinster squad have implored him to stay. Several, such as Brian O'Driscoll, Denis Hickie, Reggie Corrigan and Shane Byrne took the unusual course of also imploring the union to do everything in their power to keep him.
"I have been truly overwhelmed from the support I've been given from all of the Leinster squad and supporters of the team as well. We are very happy here in Ireland and it would be a terrible wrench to leave.
"It's taken two years of hard work to build up the structures and relationships which now exist between the management team and the players. Everybody knows the potential here in Leinster and how far this squad could yet go, but I have to say that Nigel Wray and Saracens have acted in an utterly fair and professional manner. Whatever decision I make I feel I'll be letting down one side."
