Edinburgh Rugby reveal new defence coach with Wallabies, Bath and Wasps on his CV

The experienced Australian will join in the summer from Queensland Reds where he has been a senior coach for the Super Rugby franchise.

Davis, 58, replaces Michael Todd who will leave at the end of the season along with attack coach Scott Mathie and skills coach Rob Chrystie.

The new man comes with an impressive CV which includes an eight-year stay at Bath followed by stints at Wasps, Ospreys, London Irish and the Australia national team.

The current campaign has been a miserable one for Edinburgh who have won only four of 14 league games and sit 13th in the 16-team United Rugby Championship. The club have continued to support head coach Sean Everitt, handing the South African a new two-year deal, but are changing the coaching team around him. A new attack coach to replace Mathie is expected to be announced this week.

A good fit for Edinburgh

Everitt said he had known Davis for a long time and believes he is a good fit for Edinburgh.

“We were looking for guys with international experience and a vast amount of experience as well,” said Everitt.

“If you look at a guy like Brad Davis, he's Australian, but much of his coaching experience is in the Northern Hemisphere. He's been at Ospreys, Wasps and London Irish. He was involved with the Wallabies' preparation to the build-up to the World Cup.

“So we're looking, firstly, at top quality guys as people, and, number two, as really good coaches, and I believe that we have those two.”

Nucifora’s role

David Nucifora, Scottish Rugby’s performance director consultant, has been involved in the recruitment process and alighted on fellow Aussie Davis but Everitt said it was a joint decision.

“There were numerous role players involved in the recruitment process,” said Everitt. “Obviously our MD, Doug Struth, as well as Dave Nucifora. We had applications from far and wide, and we threw our net wide as well, and we feel that we've got the best that was available to us to take Edinburgh Rugby forward.

“I can honestly tell you that it's not only a David Nucifora appointment. It wasn't that we were looking for Australians. Brad lived in the UK for 22 years, and he's only been in Australia now for the last two. So that wasn't any form of criteria at all.”

Davis, who has signed a two-year contract, is a former rugby league player who played in England in the 1990s for several clubs including Wakefield Trinity and Castleford Tigers. He began his coaching career in league with Castleford before making the transition to union in 2006, joining Bath as defence and skills coach. He was part of the coaching team when Bath won the European Challenge Cup two years later.

He had options elsewhere

Davis later worked at Wasps, Ospreys and London Irish. He was seconded to the Wallabies as their attack coach for the Rugby Championship before rejoining former London Irish coach Les Kiss at Queensland Reds as senior coach.

He said he was excited to be taking on a new challenge with Edinburgh.

“Edinburgh is a club with a strong identity, passionate support and huge potential, and I'm looking forward to bringing my experience of working in high-performing environments to help drive the team forward,” he said.

“The opportunity to work with this group of players and staff, and to help build a resilient, consistent and aggressive defence is something that really motivates me. I can't wait to get started.”

Struth, Edinburgh’s managing director, said Davis had been a coach in demand elsewhere.

“We are thrilled to welcome Brad to Edinburgh Rugby,” said Struth. “This is a significant appointment for the club – someone who has operated at the very top of the game, across multiple competitions and at international level, and who is committed to driving us forward.

“Brad had options, and the fact that he chose Edinburgh speaks to the ambition and the direction of travel here. We look forward to seeing the contribution he will make both on the training paddock and within our wider environment.”

Edinburgh announced on Monday that forwards coach Stevie Lawrie would be staying with the club and had also signed a new two-year contract. Lawrie is the only one of Edinburgh’s four assistant coaches to remain in situ for next season. The club is also in the process of overhauling its medical and strength and conditioning staff.