Brian Smith leaves his job as England attack coach

Brian Smith today stood down from his position as England attack coach.

Smith was appointed in July 2008 and has decided not to seek a renewal of his contract.

He said: “I feel that England have made great strides in the last three years and although the World Cup was a massive disappointment, we have won 10 out of the last 13 games, including beating Australia back-to-back and winning the RBS 6 Nations for the first time since 2003.

“Johno appointed me and gave me the opportunity, and that’s something I will be forever grateful for. He has been fantastic to work for and has always given 100 per cent and maintained the utmost integrity. Working with the other coaches has also been a positive experience and I wish them all well.”

Martin Johnson said: “Brian has brought a high level of coaching and a huge amount of commitment and passion to the job. If you look at our record in the last 12 months, and the fact that we have scored 37 tries to 12 conceded, it shows what an impact he has made. I want to thank him for what he has done for the England team and for the young players that he has brought on.”