The Welsh Rugby Union has denied that caretaker coach Scott Johnson has told them he is leaving for Australia at the end of the Six Nations Championship. But they have admitted drawing up contingency plans to find a new coach.

Johnson (43) and Bath's Michael Foley are widely expected to join Australia as assistants to coach John Connolly. Johnson is thought to have met Connolly in Bath this week, and media reports suggest that he has agreed to a three-year deal with the Wallabies.

Johnson - with Wales as skills coach since February 2001 - was put in temporary charge of the national side following Mike Ruddock's shock departure a fortnight ago, and he is believed to be the players' choice to lead them to the World Cup. But he has always stressed that family decisions will determine his future plans, and a return down under to rejoin his mother and two children now seems imminent.

"We've been saying for four months that Scott will join Australia and nothing has changed," Sydney Morning Herald journalist Greg Crowden said yesterday. "We understand that he's extremely close to signing, but there has been no official announcement."

Former Wales captain Gareth Davies says that the news will confuse the whole "sorry saga" of Ruddock's departure even more. "It will destabilise the Welsh camp even further, but to be fair to him Scott has always said that family reasons will determine his future.

"The sad thing is that the players genuinely seem to respect and want to follow Scott, but maybe they should stick to the playing side of the game."

Should Johnson go, there seem few obvious candidates for the position, Gareth Jenkins having ruled himself out whilst the current WRU bosses are in charge.

Phil Davies, Lyn Jones, Dai Young, Paul Turner, Kingsley Jones and Mark Evans have all been touted as possible contenders, but none has an overwhelming case.