Shaun Edwards is to leave his position as defence coach with France after six years, as part of a coaching overhaul by head coach, Fabien Galthié.
Telegraph Sport understands that Edwards, who joined Les Bleus from Wales in 2020, is in negotiations with the French rugby federation about his imminent departure.
He had been contracted to 2028, but will not be part of the French coaching team for the Nations Championship next month.
Galthié has instead recruited Gérald Bastide, who previously looked after the team’s defence between 2015 and 2017 under former head coach Guy Novès, to replace Edwards on an interim basis.
Edwards, the former Wasps head coach, who was also part of Sir Ian McGeechan’s coaching team for the British and Irish Lions tour of South Africa in 2009, had been regarded as one of the key components to France’s success in recent years.
This year’s Six Nations title was France’s third in five years and it took Edwards’s personal haul to seven. He won four titles as Wales defence coach under Warren Gatland, including three Grand Slams.
However, the former Wigan and Great Britain rugby league legend has fallen out of favour with Galthié, with sources claiming he has been looking for a replacement for a number of months.
France conceded 50 points in the defeat by Scotland at Murrayfield and 46 points in their last-gasp victory over England that sealed the title at the Stade de France in the final round.
Galthié has also dispensed with the services of kicking coach Vlok Cilliers, who will be replaced on an interim basis by Toulon kicking coach Maxime Petitjean.
The French head coach and his assistants met in Narbonne and Montpellier last week to begin preparations for the match against England A at the end of this month, as well as three Nations Championship matches against New Zealand, Australia, and Japan. Neither Edwards nor Cilliers was involved.
There is likely to be a clamour for Edwards to take up a role with England, but there is no obvious vacancy for him in Steve Borthwick’s coaching team, with Richard Wigglesworth, one of the senior coaches, in charge of defence.
Joe El-Abd and Byron McGuigan have also undertaken defensive coaching roles. Edwards was last linked with England in 2022.
Speaking after France’s 48-46 victory over England in March, Edwards said he would be keen on taking a job with one of the southern hemisphere sides when his contract with France expired.
“I have an ambition to win a Rugby Championship, to be honest,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live. “I would love to be involved with the All Blacks or Springboks or Argentina maybe.
“Most of the World Cup winners have come from the southern hemisphere, and I would love to be able to pit myself against the top teams like that.”