Gaffney takes up new role with Saracens

Former Munster coach Alan Gaffney was today named as the new director of rugby at English Premiership club Saracens.

The Australian will take up his new post at the end of the season and replaces Steve Diamond, who was sacked in February when Saracens were in severe danger of relegation.

Head coach Mike Ford, who worked as defensive coordinator  under Eddie O'Sullivan until last summer, and acting director of rugby Eddie Jones will remain in charge for the final three Premiership games.

Gaffney, who also worked as assistant coach to Matt Williams at Leinster, left Munster last summer to return to Australia after being asked by Jones to join the Wallabies' management team as assistant coach in charge of back play.

When Jones was dismissed at the end of Australia's worst year in terms of results since the early 1970s, the former Bath director of rugby John Connolly took over and appointed his own team of assistants.

"I'm absolutely delighted. I'd always wanted to coach in the English Premiership and this is a great opportunity for me and I'm really looking forward to getting involved," Gaffney said today." I've already met with a lot of the guys around the training centre and they seem a good bunch of people who I look

"I've followed the Premiership from Ireland quite extensively and also came up against a number of English teams during my time with Munster and Leinster. I know that this is a very difficult competition to play in - especially when combined with the Powergen Cup and the Heineken Cup."

Ronan O'Gara believes Saracens have made an inspired choice.

"He is a fine coach, and his style is definitely not 10-man rugby. He likes to see an attacking brand of rugby, and we played some of our greatest rugby under him," said O'Gara. "He will make a great difference to Saracens - they have got themselves a fantastic coach."