Northhampton Saints confirmed the appointment of Alan Gaffney as technical coaching consultant until the end of the season. The club confirmed the news on their website this morning.
The 70-year-old former Munster coach will replace Jim Mallinder as head of coaching operations until the end of the 2017/18 season. Mallinder was sacked as director of rugby on December 12th after a poor run of results.
— Northampton Saints (@SaintsRugby) December 29, 2017
The Saints have endured a torrid season, hovering just two places above the relegation spot, sitting tenth place in the Aviva premiership, and winning only four of their games all season. They are also currently bottom of their pool in the Champions Cup.
The Club’s CEO Mark Darbon said on their website that he was delighted to have the former Leinster and Ireland backs coach at the club.
Welcome to the Saints Alan Gaffney https://t.co/0hFL3Ek8hr
— Northampton Saints (@SaintsRugby) December 29, 2017
"Alan is hugely experienced and admired throughout the game for being a forward thinking, innovative rugby coach," Darbon said. "His CV speaks for itself; he has been successful with some of the best teams in the world – including winning a Six Nations Grand Slam and Heineken Cup – and has a clear understanding of how to set-up an effective all-around rugby team. He also has a proven track record of developing some of the world’s best coaches and players."
The Sydney native had been working with Rugby Australia as national elite programmes coach since 2013. Gaffney will start his new position with the club ahead of their Aviva Premiership match against Gloucester on January 6th, 2018.
