The Eastern Province Kings may be keen, but they are a long way off from securing the services of Gary Gold.
Media reports on Friday suggested the former Springbok assistant coach could be heading to Port Elizabeth – to fill the void left by the departure of another former Bok assistant, Alan Solomons, and New Zealander Matt Sexton.
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The speculation was based on an interview Gold granted PE journalists at the airport, after he met what he described as “friends”.
This website can reveal that while Kings officials are keen to replace Solomons, who took up a coaching role at Edinburgh in Scotland, and Sexton (who returned to New Zealand) with another world class coach, Gold has not been formally approach and is not close to signing anything.
A source told this website that former All Black flyhalf Carlos Spencer, who was recruited as backline coach, will be the caretaker head coach of the Kings.
Gold, who met with Kings skipper Luke Watson on Thursday, during his brief stay in PE, also played down the speculation linking him to the Kings job.
“I have come to visit some friends, to see Luke [Watson], and have a chat and see what they are up to over here,” Gold told the PE Herald.
“[I] also [wanted] to see the Kings’ set-up and also have a conversation about what they are trying to do here,” Gold told the newspaper.
“They have some great vision down here [in PE] and I want to share some ideas of what we have been doing at Bath.”
Asked by the Herald if he would be interested if the Kings offered him a position, Gold said: “My life is in Bath at the moment. I am a long way away from having that discussion.”
Gold recently left Bath and said it was with “deep regret” that his time at the English Premiership club came to an end.
“I’ve no doubt Bath will go from strength to strength in years to come and I sincerely wish them all the very best of fortune.”