Stephen Larkham a chance as clock ticks on ACT Brumbies' head coach search for Super Rugby

Larkham is off-contract at Munster in June, while Dan McKellar's time at Brumbies headquarters draws to a close in that same month following the Super Rugby Pacific final.

Reports filtering out of Ireland suggest Munster are bracing themselves to be raided by the Brumbies for their senior coach.

Munster head coach Johann van Graan has reportedly already begun searching for a replacement to fill the void left by Larkham at Thomond Park.

Brumbies chairman Matt Nobbs says the club has remained in contact with Larkham since he left for Ireland, a by-product of the legacy he left at the club following 127 appearances as a player and four years as head coach.

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But Nobbs says the club is yet to hold talks with Larkham about returning for a second stint as head coach with applications for the role due to close on Monday.

"He's always been in contact with us, just because he has been a part of us for such a long time," Nobbs said.

"I think probably naturally he is itching to get home, but as far as what his coaching aspirations are, I don't know. He is probably going to put his hand up for it.

"We've just got to go through the process and make sure we get the best coach that is going to suit where we're at, that's available. I'm pretty confident we'll get a good list of candidates.

"It's a prestige job, we think it's a prestige job in world rugby. Our record speaks for itself. It's so important, we've got to get it right. We've got to get the right person."

Larkham spent four years as head coach of the Brumbies from 2014-17, guiding the club to the Super Rugby finals on all four occasions.

McKellar stepped into the top job ahead of the 2018 season with Larkham graduating to a full-time role on Michael Cheika's staff with the Wallabies.

But Larkham was controversially sacked during 2019, with many believing he had been made a scapegoat for an underperforming national team, and soon joined Irish provincial side Munster.

McKellar has enjoyed a successful stint at Brumbies headquarters, highlighted by a Super Rugby AU triumph in 2020 and another grand final appearance this year.

He will move to a full-time role within the Wallabies set-up following the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season on the road to the 2023 World Cup.

The Brumbies' coach search continues following the announcement of a 12-team competition including all five Australian franchises, their New Zealand counterparts, and new additions Fijian Drua and Moana Pasifika.

Confirmation of the competition details has allowed club bosses to ramp up recruitment drives and talks with sponsors, with the Brumbies on the verge of unveiling a handful of new players.

"Not that we don't always have purpose, but we've got a genuine vision and understanding of what our next two years of rugby entails and that really helps you," Brumbies assistant coach Laurie Fisher said following the announcement of Super Rugby Pacific.

"It drives your recruiting, it drives your style of play, it drives the things you need to change and get better at, and it drives motivation. We're really excited to see a competition of this nature that has been proposed and will go ahead.

"Everybody has got their own innate sort of style. We'll be playing what Super Rugby requires. It's a game that requires adventure.

"We need people who want to watch it, who want to either come to home games or subscribe or listen on radio.

"We need to engage fans so everybody needs to play a positive style. I certainly think having the Pasifika sides in will encourage that positivity."

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