Brumbies approached Lions boss Warren Gatland to replace Stephen Larkham

PAYTO & PANDA: the Brumbies are leaning towards an in-house appointment to replace coach Stephen Larkham but only after they went big game hunting for a Lion.

THE Brumbies are leaning towards an in-house appointment to replace coach Stephen Larkham but only after they went big game hunting for a Lion.

And no, this isn’t what happens to a joint when Dave Pocock departs for a year.

We hear the Brumbies made a play to lure Lions coach Warren Gatland down to Canberra to take over from Larkham, who is joining the Wallabies staff fulltime after this Super Rugby season finishes.

Gatland is contracted to Wales until the end of 2019 but is on a year-long sabbatical to lead the British and Irish Lions to New Zealand in June.

The Brumbies got the same answer from Gatland as he gave the Chiefs late last year: I am going to see out my WRU contract. Let’s talk after that.

Warren Gatland (L) turned down the Brumbies offer.

So who is in the running for the Brumbies job?

Less than a week after he resigned as head coach of Gloucester on Twitter, Laurie Fisher has announced he’s keen and we understand the former ACT coach is on a four-person shortlist.

Another Canberra lad Matt O’Connor was in the mix early but the strong mail from London is that the ex-Reds assistant is set to resume his former role as head coach of the Leicester Tigers.

Kiwi coach Jono Gibbes was also in the mix but recently signed on with Ulster.

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The front runner for the job is Dan McKellar, who is currently the forwards coach at the Brumbies. McKellar came up from Souths in Brisbane club rugby, and joined the Brumbies when Fisher left in 2014. He coached the Vikings last year and is well-regarded at the club.

Crucially, there is talk that McKellar has another rising star coach on his ticket: Norths and Australian under 20s coach Simon Cron.

A Brumbies panel is due to begin interviewing short-listed candidates next week.

​CHEIK DANGLES KB CARROT

Wallabies coach Michael Cheika went on the record saying he was “50-50” about the chances of Kurtley Beale returning to Australia this year after one season at Wasps. ​

In Cheika-speak, you can translate that to confidence.

Kurtley Beale won a Super Rugby crown under Michael Cheika.

There is no way the ARU can match the dough on offer from Wasps, and from all reports, Beale and his partner Maddie are enjoying life in London.

But Cheika has hit the mark by openly dangling the Wallabies No.12 jersey in front of Beale.

Part of the reason Beale agreed to a UK move was frustration he wasn’t in the starting team for the Wallabies in 2015, and even before that under Cheika.

He would have owned the No.12 last year but a knee injury ruined Beale’s year.

SUPER FUTURE DECIDED IN LONDON

News about the future of Super Rugby won’t be known until early Saturday morning in Australian time.

SANZAAR meetings will stretch across two days in London — following World Rugby meetings — and only on Saturday morning will the EXCO (all the bosses) meeting occur where all nations will put their closely held cards on the table.

The ARU will be represented by CEO Bill Pulver and deputy chairman Brett Robinson.

There have been questions asked why chairman Cameron Clyne is not attending. The former NAB boss struck an arrangement with Robinson that gave the former Brumbies captain the duties of attending all overseas meetings.

It’s an odd arrangement and Clyne’s hard-nosed experience in business would have been an asset to Australian rugby at a meeting where the game’s strategic future here was firmly on the agenda.

NERVOUS WAIT

Should the decision to cut an Australian franchise be made, it is believed the ARU would make the call on who will get the chop within a month.

The uncertainty of the Super Rugby competition saw the ARU instruct clubs to not sign any non-Wallabies players about five weeks ago.

It mostly hasn’t disrupted business at clubs and talks have gone on. But with over 20 players off contract, the Brumbies are the most agitated.

KURIDRANI NOT SNAPPED UP

After the loss of Scott Fardy, there are a few nerves in Canberra about the fact Tevita Kuridrani hasn’t been re-signed yet — even with the ARU ban not applying to him.

Kuridrani has been heavily targeted by a European club. He likes the Brumbies and would prefer to stay but for ACT and Wallabies fans, no news is not good news when it comes to contract negotiations.