Argentine Head Coach Daniel Hourcade has been selected by World Rugby as one of four finalists for the prestigious Coach of the Year award. El Huevo joins Japanese coach Eddie Jones, Australia’s Michael Cheika and New Zealand’s Steve Hansen in the short-listed finalists.
All four are coaching their respective teams in a first ever World Cup campaign but three of them have prior experience. Hourcade was Portugal’s assistant coach at Rugby World Cup 2007, Jones also acted as assistant coach to Jake White during South Africa’s Rugby World Cup 2007 campaign and was Head Coach of the Australian team which made the 2003 final.
The favorite for the award, Hansen, coached Wales during Rugby World Cup 2003. He returned to New Zealand to join Graham Henry and act as assistant coach in both the 2007 and 2011 Rugby World Cups before he replaced Henry as Head Coach in 2012.