Gaffney: I’m aiming for top-four spot
Alan Gaffney is targeting a top-four finish with Northampton despite arriving this week with the club on an 11-game losing run.
Gaffney, in his capacity as technical coaching consultant, has been handed the reins until the end of the season after Jim Mallinder’s sacking last month, although the 71-year-old has intimated that he would be interested in becoming his permanent replacement.
The Australian, a former coaching colleague of Eddie Jones, joins a team bereft of confidence who have conceded four or more tries in their past four matches.
Northampton are 10th and closer in points to bottom-placed London Irish than Gloucester, in fourth place, whom they face at Franklin’s Gardens on Saturday in his first game in charge. “I am working on the basis that we are aiming for top four,” Gaffney said. “We are not even contemplating anything else. It may be a big ask, but if they had won a couple of those games that had been reasonably close and all of a sudden you are challenging for top four.”
Gaffney, who had been working in youth development for Rugby Australia, added: “There’s a lack of confidence, they are not backing themselves to play.
“I did address the players and told them that’s not an ability issue, they need to go out and have a crack. I don’t think it’ll take long to get that confidence back and if we get that, things will turn quickly.”
One change that he will not be making is to the role of captain Dylan Hartley. “Dylan has been a figurehead here for a long time and he has got a lot of respect among the players,” Gaffney said.