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Warren Gatland dismisses Stade Francais reports

Gatland dismisses Stade reports
© PA Photos
Warren Gatland denies that he will take over as head coach at Pro14 side Stade Francais despite taking a training session with the team.

Warren Gatland has denied that he is interested in taking over at Stade Francais, despite recent reports linking him to the job.

The Wales coach, who is currently in charge of the British and Irish Lions, took a training session with the Pro14 team last month.

The New Zealander told BBC Sport: "I had a phone call from Richard Pool-Jones as the director of rugby at Stade Francais who had played for England. He said he was new in the job and pretty green and could he come and have a chat with me about some contact situations.

"It was a good chance to keep my hand in and do it pretty quietly and anonymously, but within two hours it was on Twitter and the rest of the world was speculating I was making a move to go to Paris and to France. It was just a chance to do some hands-on coaching, which I haven't been doing the last few months. It was nothing, I can assure you of that.

"It was a chance to help out another coach and a chance to get away to Paris for a couple of days. Once the Lions tour is over, my focus comes back to Wales in terms of preparing for 2015."

Pool-Jones has since stepped down as a coach at the club, resulting in the vacancy.

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