Now head analyst quits Eddie’s team
EDDIE Jones is to lose yet another key member of his backroom team with England head analyst Joe Lewis set to follow experienced assistant coach John Mitchell out of the Twickenham door.
The highly-rated Lewis is set to join the Scarlets. Lewis, who originally comes from Builth Wells, has been a key component of Jones’ backroom team since 2017. He will return to Parc y Scarlets where he previously worked for four years.
Jones has lost large numbers of his key support staff just two years out from the 2023 World Cup in France and is working overtime to recruit new men to work alongside him.
Mitchell, below, has left to join Wasps, former attack coach Simon Amor has also departed, while Australian Jason Ryles pulled out of a deal to become skills coach over Covid-19 concerns.
As things stand, Jones has just one assistant coach on the England books in the shape of forwards guru Matt Proudfoot, but former Wales wing Mark Jones, ex-Edinburgh boss Richard Cockerill, and Wasps attack coach Martin Gleeson are all in the frame to sign up over the next few weeks. Lewis has also been head analyst at the Ospreys, Taranaki, and the England women’s football team. He worked at Super Rugby level with the Brumbies, Western Force, Waratahs, and Reds when he was employed by the Australian Rugby Union. New Scarlets head coach Dwayne Peel has been busy building a backroom team he thinks can get the best out of a talented group of players.
He has already appointed Australian Nigel Ashley-Jones as head of physical performance after he joined from the Canberra Raiders.
Hugh Hogan has moved from Leinster to Llanelli to take charge of defence.
Lewis will complete an impressive back-room team at Parc y Scarlets which also includes forwards coach Richard Kelly, backs coach Dai Flanagan, and scrum coach Ben Franks.