He was a Scotland youth international
Stuart Lancaster had a rather modest playing career.
After starting out at Wakefield Rugby Football Club (a club that disappeared in 2004), he wore the colors of Leeds Carnegie between 1992 and 2000 in the third-row position after having started out as... a pillar.
Previously, he had been an international for... Scotland at the Under-19 and Under-21 level.
He grew up in Culgaith, a small village not far from the border between England and Scotland.
His career came to an abrupt end at the age of 30 due to an injury, he then switched to a coaching career, initially taking care of young people in Leeds.
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A coach praised for his qualities as a trainer
The 2011 World Cup was a real fiasco for the England team, stopped in the quarter-finals by a defeat against the XV of France.
Above all, the XV de la Rose - then coached by Martin Johnson, a former glorious second-line - had hit the headlines in New Zealand for its extra-sporting slippages, with in particular this dwarf throwing contest in a nightclub, past to posterity.
Model of professionalism and requirement, Jonny Wilkinson, then opener of England, had very badly lived this episode.
When Stuart Lancaster arrives in 2012, England is a field of ruins and he will quickly put the Rose on the front of the stage, even if he does not manage to make the Grand Slam in the Tournament.
The English finished second in all editions between 2012 and 2015, regularly collapsing in the last game.
Former responsible for the training and development of high-level players within the English Federation (RFU) since 2008, he is praised for his qualities as a trainer.
He will launch into the deep end a whole generation of promising players (Owen Farrell, George Ford...).
The 2015 World Cup fiasco in England
A big stain on his resume.
The 2015 World Cup in England has indeed turned into a nightmare for England with an entry defeat against Wales (25-28) then against Australia (13-33).
England become the first (and still the only) World Cup host nation not to reach the quarter-finals.
At the time, there were rumors of tensions between Stuart Lancaster and Andy Farrell, his assistant in charge of defense who has since become Ireland coach.
Lancaster will logically be removed from office.
But many observers emphasize the substantive work he has done for the XV de la Rose.
A work from which his successor, the Australian Eddie Jones, was able to reap the benefits to hoist the English in the final of the 2019 World Cup (defeat against the Springboks),
Know-how at the service of Leinster
After this injury from the 2015 World Cup, he took over the management of Ireland and became assistant to Leo Cullen, head coach of the prestigious province of Leinster.
With Jonathan Sexton's band, Stuart Lancaster enriches his record with a 2018 Champion Cup (against... Racing 92 in Bilbao) and four crowns in the Celtic League, which has become the United Rugby Championship.
The Dubliners shine with their ultra-efficient, intense and programmed rugby.
Lancaster obviously brings his paw to the building.
In the columns of
L'Équipe
, he explained in 2019:
"It's great to get my hands back in the engine, something I didn't do too much when I was England coach.
The season before my arrival, Leinster had won only one match in the European Cup and lost in the final of the Pro 14
(former Celtic League)
against Connacht.
First decision: we had to strengthen our defense.
Then we looked at the rest."
To make Leinster the most impressive team in Europe, in recent seasons, with the English Saracens.
Racing's second foreign coach
Since his arrival at the head of Racing in May 2006, Jacky Lorenzetti, the president of Racing 92, has used only a few coaches.
No incessant waltz of technicians.
After finding the outposts thanks to Pierre Berbizier (2007-2012), he left the controls of the club, for a season, to the Argentinian Gonzalo Quesada (2012-2013) after the stormy departure of "Berbize".
Before the long term of Laurent Labit (left in 2019 as assistant to Fabien Galthié at the head of the XV of France) and Laurent Travers.
With this duo, the Altoséquanais club won the only title of the modern era: the Brennus 2016 in Barcelona against RC Toulon.
After Quesada, Lancaster will therefore become the second foreign coach of Racing, the first non-French speaker.
“
I thank Laurent Travers
(who will become chairman of the club's Board of Directors, editor's note)
and the whole club for the trust they have chosen to place in me.
I know the responsibilities that will be mine at the head of this extraordinary squad, certainly one of the most competitive in Europe.
I look forward to working with all these very talented players to support me in my mission
, ”underlines the next Racing coach.