South Africa are pushing hard to tempt defence coach Jerry Flannery away from Harlequins.
The Springboks want Flannery to replace Felix Jones in their backroom staff, and run the back-to-back world champions’ defence.
Flannery has focused on defence at Quins this term and helped oversee the second tightest rearguard in the Gallagher Premiership.
Harlequins are sat second in the Premiership table, having sharpened up in a number of areas, benefitting from head coach Danny Wilson’s summer arrival.
Former Ireland hooker Flannery worked as scrum coach under Rassie Erasmus at Munster between 2016 and 2017.
The 45-year-old has been at Quins since 2020, and helped the Twickenham side win the Premiership title in 2021.
Harlequins will not be minded to stand in Flannery’s way if the former Munster stalwart does receive the opportunity to step up Test-level coaching.
The west Londoners regard the former Lions hooker as a major influence at The Stoop, with a big coaching future ahead too.
The Springboks are seeking two new backroom staff appointments, after head coach Jacques Nienaber joined Leinster and Jones linked up with England.
Former All Blacks fly-half and Highlanders coach Tony Brown is expected to take the Boks’ attack coach role.
Rassie Erasmus will continue as rugby director, and Brown and Flannery could now complete a new coaching line-up.
