The Melbourne Rebels could be forced to go back to the drawing board in their hunt for a new coach following reports David Wessels is poised to sign with Irish club Munster.
The Irish Independent claims the Pro 14 outfit are set to confirm Wessels as their new director of rugby.
Wessels had been linked to the Rebels after the culling of the Western Force from Super Rugby but has been wooed by Munster, who are seeking a replacement for the departing Rassie Erasmus.
The 36-year-old South African - recognised as a rising star in the coaching ranks - was in Ireland last week for a job interview.
Former ARU high performance boss David Nucifora, who is the Irish Rugby Football Union's performance director, said they were "close" to sealing a deal that would have huge ramifications for Australian rugby.
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If Wessels was to snub the Rebels and move to Europe it would be a disaster for Australian rugby in more ways than one.
It would leave the franchise scrambling to find a new coach just five months out from the new Super Rugby season and also deliver a hammer blow to their recruitment plans.
A group of off-contract Force players, including Wallabies lock Adam Coleman and utility back Dane Haylett-Petty, are supposedly keen to follow Wessels wherever he goes.
"I'm hopeful we will have an answer to this sooner rather than later so we can engineer a really well-delivered handover between the two coaching groups," Nucifora said.
"We're making good progress.
"At the moment we're talking to one person, but we've spoken to multiple over a period of time. But at the moment we're talking to one so that's why I can say we are getting closer."
