Tindall in Limbo about Future

Mike Tindall admits that his Gloucester future is now in doubt after the untimely departure of Director of Rugby Nigel Davies.

The England World Cup winner has admitted that, for the second time in just three seasons at Kingsholm, he is in limbo as the club seek a new-look coaching team.

The 35-year-old has been considering an offer to be Gloucester’s full-time backs coach for next season; however, Davies’ departure has left that proposal void.

Although, as Tindall himself admits, his future will lie with Gloucester’s eventual new Director of Rugby – a man who would surely not turn down the assistance of inspirational World Cup winner Tindall.

Tindall believes Gloucester are aiming to tie up a deal for their new boss within the coming fortnight, but said that could prove a tight turnaround.

"It's been a crazy couple of weeks, but we'll see what happens at the end of it," Tindall began.

"It's a weird time for me with my playing and coaching contract running out at the same time, I'm almost where I was two years ago.

"I don't know what's going to happen but we'll see.

"Everything's in limbo again, so it's just a case of holding on to see what happens."

Former Wales attack coach Davies arrived from the Scarlets in 2012 and immediately handed Tindall a Kingsholm reprieve.

Surplus to requirements until Bryan Redpath's Sale switch, Tindall was able to resurrect his Gloucester career, assuming a player/coach role with Davies' backing.

Now the Otley-born midfielder hopes history can repeat itself, with the eventual new Gloucester boss extending his Cherry and Whites tenure once again.

"I must give a lot of credit and respect to Nigel - without him I wouldn't have been here for the last two years," said Tindall.

"He said for him going forward and the best thing for the group, he wanted me as a full-time coach.

"I disagreed with him, but I had to respect his decision because without him I wouldn't have been at the club still anyway.

"We were going through that process, but now he's not here. My contract will run out so I've got to wait and see who comes in and what they want.

"So all bets are off: unless you put your CV in for the big job.

"Realistically it would be a very big step for someone just getting started in coaching.

"You see behind the scenes what a director of rugby has to do and there's so many facets to the job."

The Newport Gwent Dragons coaching duo of Lyn Jones and Kingsley Jones are already in the frame to take up the chief role at Gloucester; although, the West Country club have launched a worldwide search, with names like Kiwi Coach Wayne Smith also mooted.

Tindall admitted Gloucester must act fast to allow the new chief to recruit his own backroom staff in time to prepare fully for next season.

Speaking at the ISPS Handa Mike Tindall annual celebrity golf class in aid of Rugby for Heroes, he said: "It's clearly the club's ultimate priority and they want to get it done as soon as possible, but it's tough to find someone for a job like that in a matter of weeks.

"The amount of people who will apply, and to sift through all that, I would have thought it would be very hard to get through in that timescale.

“But we'll just have to wait and see.

"Nigel leaving, it all happened so fast, and we were shocked, I was shocked.

"You see what he'd put in place for next season and, yes, results were not where we want them to be, but a lot of what he did off the field was the best for the club.

"I'm sure Nigel will be very disappointed he doesn't get to see all the new signings come in and work with what he'd put together."