Gaffney poised to join Cheika’s Leinster backroom

ALAN GAFFNEY is likely to return to Ireland as assistant to Leinster coach Michael Cheika — and not as backs coach with Ireland.

Gaffney, an assistant coach to Matt Williams for two seasons in Dublin, top man in Munster for almost the same time and an assistant with Australia under Eddie Jones, is back in the frame to take over as assistant to Cheika following the resignation of David Knox.

Speculation mounted yesterday that Gaffney had decided to return to Ireland from Saracens at the end of the season where he had been director of rugby for the last two years.