Ian Peel has been promoted to the role of scrum coach ahead of England’s RBS Six Nations campaign whilst also joining the Saracens’ backroom staff on a permanent basis.
One of England’s biggest problems during their recent failure at the Rugby World Cup in which they made history by becoming the first host nation not to make the knockout stages, was the scrum.
What is normally perceived to be one of the Red Rose’s most potent weapons was taken apart by the Australians and was nowhere near its best.
Eddie Jones is hoping to solve this issue as soon as possible and make it a strength once again with the addition of 39-year-old Ian Peel to his backroom staff.
This is a huge opportunity and I am really looking forward to getting stuck in with lots of the guys who I have worked with through the age-group teams but also when I have gone in and helped Graham Rowntree over the last few seasons.
It is a huge honour to go and deliver that for the seniors and joining up with Eddie, Steve Borthwick, Paul Gustard and the rest of the team.
Peel has been a coach for the England Under 20s and is a proven winner as he has been there for three years in which England won twice and made the final in the summer this year.
He used to be a prop for Newcastle Falcons where he made 122 premiership appearances before, at the age of 29, an injury forced him to retire.
However, he will only be coaching England on a temporary basis for the RBS Six Nations, because he has already agreed to join the Saracens coaching team and will rejoin them at the end of the competition.
He is thought to be a partial replacement for Gustard although he will not coach the defence of the Aviva Premiership champions.
It is believed that Marco del Maso, who worked with Jones during his stint at Japan, will then be the permanent scrum coach for the international side as he has already said he is interested in joining up with Eddie Jones again, but cannot leave his current contract.
