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| England appoint Ashton to top job | England appoint Ashton to top job |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Former Bath and Ireland coach Brian Ashton has been appointed as England head coach with immediate effect. | Former Bath and Ireland coach Brian Ashton has been appointed as England head coach with immediate effect. |
| Ashton has been promoted from his role as attack coach and will continue to work with forwards and defence specialists John Wells and Mike Ford. | Ashton has been promoted from his role as attack coach and will continue to work with forwards and defence specialists John Wells and Mike Ford. |
| "It's a massive privilege and honour to be asked to do the job," said Ashton. | "It's a massive privilege and honour to be asked to do the job," said Ashton. |
| "I recognise the challenges ahead and, along with the other coaches, my focus now is to prepare the England team to play Scotland in the Six Nations." | "I recognise the challenges ahead and, along with the other coaches, my focus now is to prepare the England team to play Scotland in the Six Nations." |
| Speculation had suggested that Ashton's appointment was a short-term solution until another head coach could be appointed, but the RFU has insisted this is not the case. | |
| Ashton's appointment was unanimously agreed by the Rugby Football Union's management board after his name was put forward by director of elite rugby Rob Andrew. | Ashton's appointment was unanimously agreed by the Rugby Football Union's management board after his name was put forward by director of elite rugby Rob Andrew. |
| Andrew said he had no doubts about moving the 60-year-old up to replace former head coach Andy Robinson, who resigned at the end of November after a dismal run of results. | |
| Brian is the right man to lead the coaches and players into a new period for English rugby RFU director of elite rugby Rob Andrew | |
| "Brian is the most experienced coach in England, he has enormous respect with the players and he has massive international and club experience," said Andrew. | "Brian is the most experienced coach in England, he has enormous respect with the players and he has massive international and club experience," said Andrew. |
| "This coaching team have only been together since May and I believe Brian is the right man to lead the coaches and players into a new period for English rugby starting with the Six Nations opener against Scotland." | |
| Ashton joined up with England for a second time in May, along with Wells and Ford, to help Robinson arrest England's decline since the 2003 World Cup. | |
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| He was head coach of Ireland between 1997 and 1998 but a lacklustre spell of results saw him replaced by Warren Gatland. | |
| Ireland won only two of their nine Tests under Ashton, losing twice to Italy and suffering heavy defeats at the hands of New Zealand and England during his tenure. | |
| The Lancastrian then spent four years as a member of Sir Clive Woodward's England coaching staff before becoming the RFU National Academy manager. | |
| He has also spent two periods at the helm of English Premiership side Bath. |