By John Fallon

Pete Wilkins, as expected, has been appointed to take charge of Connacht from next season in succession to Andy Friend.

He will become the province’s tenth boss in the professional era, having joined Connacht in 2017 as an assistant coach to Kieran Keane during the New Zealander’s sole season in charge.

The 43-years-old English native continued as an assistant coach during Andy Friend’s opening four seasons at the Sportsground and last summer, after being part of Andy Farrell’s Irish coaching ticket on the historic tour of New Zealand, was promoted to head coach after Friend was appointed Connacht director of rugby.

Wilkins will now continue as Connacht head coach for three years, starting in the summer with the director rugby role being dispensed with when Friend leaves at the end of the season.

Wilkins will become the first Englishman to take charge of Connacht. There have been three Irish coaches (Eddie O’Sullivan, Michael Bradley and Eric Elwood), four from New Zealand (Warren Gatland, Glenn Ross, Pat Lam and Kieran Keane), along with Steph Nel from South Africa, and Australian native, Friend.

Wilkins, who was previously assistant coach with the Queensland Reds in Australia where he also held various other community and development roles, also had a stint as assistant coach with Edinburgh.

Wilkins and scrum and contact coach Colm Tucker look like being the only ones of the current coaching ticket to remain. Aside from Friend, attack and skills coach Mossy Lawler is returning to his native Munster; while South African Dewald Senekal, the forwards coach, is reported to be taking up a similar role in France with ProD2 leaders Oyonnax in the summer.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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