Guy Noves, the mythical manager of Top 14 giants Toulouse will take over as head coach of France following this year’s World Cup, according to media reports on Friday.
The 61-year-old is set to take up the post in November after fighting off competition from Bordeaux-Begles manager Raphael Ibanez amongst others, according to respected sports daily L’Equipe and radio station RMC.
A vote to decide the successor to current coach Philippe Saint-Andre was carried out in a secret ballot at the French Rugby Federation (FFR) headquarters on Friday.
The FFR have announced they will make the decision official on Sunday following the Top 14 playoff clash between Toulouse and Oyonnax who meet on Saturday.
Toulouse are still in the running for a 20th French championship but must first overcome the challenge of Oyonnax if they want to keep their bid alive.
Noves, who has coached Toulouse since 1993 and is the most titled coach in French rugby, is set to be joined by two of his former players — current forwards coach Yannick Bru and Stade Francais backs’ coach Jean-Frederic Dubois.
Former England coach Clive Woodward, who won the 2003 World Cup, was also believed to have been in the running as well as former Montpellier coach Fabien Galthie.
Noves, a former Toulouse winger from 1975 to 1988 and coach since 1993, has won 12 French titles, including two as a player, as well as four European Cups in a glittering career.
He earned seven caps for France between 1977 and 1979.
Saint-Andre, who won 69 caps for France as a winger, took over as France coach after the World Cup of 2011, when Marc Lievremont surprisingly led a bickering, disjointed Les Bleus team to the final where they lost 8-7 to New Zealand.
Noves, who turned down the job in 2011, will take up his role from November 1, the day after the final of the World Cup in England.
France will be bidding for their first World Cup title in England, with their best previous result being runners-up in 1987, 1999 and 2011.