Northampton have appointed the Australian Alan Gaffney – formerly Eddie Jones’s assistant with the Wallabies – to replace Jim Mallinder until the end of the season.
Gaffney, who was Saracens’ director of rugby from 2006 to 2008, joins Northampton as technical coaching consultant, charged with reversing a dismal run of form that has led to them slipping to 10th in the Premiership and which cost Mallinder his job this month.
The 71-year-old, who was Munster’s head coach between 2002 and 2005, has also held roles with Ireland, with whom he won the Six Nations grand slam in 2009, Leinster and the Waratahs. He arrives from his position working for Australia as the national elite programmes coach, having started his career at Randwick, coaching both Jones and the Wallabies head coach, Michael Cheika.
“I am really excited about the challenge ahead,” said Gaffney, who arrives at Franklin’s Gardens on New Year’s Day and takes charge of his first match against Gloucester on 6 January. “Any coach would jump at the chance to work with the calibre of players Saints have. The squad have shown what they’re capable of earlier in the season but, for whatever reason, they have not been able to perform at that level consistently.”
The acting head coach, Alan Dickens, along with Dorian West, Phil Dowson, and Mark Hopley will remain on the coaching staff under Gaffney while the Northampton chief executive, Mark Darbon, said the club will continue to seek a permanent replacement for Mallinder.
“Alan is hugely experienced and admired throughout the game for being a forward-thinking, innovative rugby coach,” he said. “His CV speaks for itself; he has been successful with some of the best teams in the world and has a clear understanding of how to set up an effective all-round rugby team. He also has a proven track record of developing some of the world’s best coaches and players.
“The board will continue to focus on the recruitment of a permanent director of rugby to be in place for the start of the 2018-19 season. We hope to be able to announce this appointment in the coming months.”
