The dark shadow of a Portuguese soccer manager hangs heavy over two of the participants in this weekend's Six Nations internationals in the Northern Hemisphere.
The Stade de France, in Paris, and Dublin's Lansdowne Rd are not venues traditionally associated with the axing of rugby coaches and former Chelsea soccer manager Andreas Villas-Boas will be nowhere in sight.
But such is the craving for instant success in modern sport that it is a safe bet that if Scotland's Andy Robinson or England's caretaker coach Stuart Lancaster see their teams lose this weekend, Scotland against Ireland and England against France in Paris, then either or both could be out of a job within a few weeks.
Of course, rugby once sneered at the brutal commercialism of its noisy soccer neighbour. But today, professional rugby is aping professional soccer in increasing ways. Player loyalty is non-existent in both codes and patience with coaches is becoming very finely stretched.
Perhaps only Lancaster convinced himself he had a better than minimal chance of being appointed long-term England coach. But if England lose in Paris, following their home defeat to Wales, it is hard to believe the RFU will not look elsewhere for a permanent appointment.
