Kafer snubs Brumbies

By Jason Harris (filed: 14/4/04)
April 14 2004

Saracens head coach Rod Kafer has ruled himself out of the running for the opportunity to return to Australia and coach the ACT Brumbies. The vacancy has arisen after the sacking of incumbent David Nucifora after what is widely believed to be a player revolt at the forner Super 12 champions.

Kafer is believed to be the popular choice among the ACT players, but he has pledged his immediate future to Saracesn for the 2004-05 season. But the Sarries boss backed his former Brumbies colleagues in ousting Nucifora who is due to leave at the end of the current Super 12 campaign.



The decision of the former Wallaby centre to stay at Sarries means that Laurie Fisher - himself a target for the Men in Black before Kafer's promotion from player-coach to head coach - is the favourite to take over in Canberra once Nucifora departs.

"I'm not a candidate," Kafer said. "You can say for certain that I
won't be doing the job.

"Nobody has called me about the possibility of doing it and I can say
that there is no point in them calling because I have a contract here
and I am not available."


Kafer also said in the Australian press the Brumbies players who staged the overthrow of their coach had his support.


"I'm obviously a long way from the action and I can't say I know
exactly what is going on," he said.

"But if people are saying that the lunatics are running the place, I
reckon they aren't a bad bunch of lunatics.

"The results they have been getting aren't too bad. I know a few
other teams who would like to have those kind of lunatics in their
teams, getting those kinds of results.

"Look at where they have got to on the table.

"It speaks volumes for their ability and knowledge of the game if
they [the players] are running the show."

Meanwhile, back in the Zurich Premiership, Kafer is preparing his Saracens squad for another daunting trip to Welford Road on Friday night to face a resurgent Leicester Tigers side.

Sarries were held to a 19-19 draw earlier in the season when Tigers replacement flanker Will Skinner levelled matters at the death after Morgan Williams thought he had sealed the win for the Men in Black with a try two minutes from time.With Sarries still struggling in 11th and Leicester heading the right way up the table after some recent wins, it'll difficult for Kafer and his charges to register a win at one of two grounds where they have never done so.