England appoint Irishman Dan Tobin as strength and conditioning coach

England have appointed Irishman Dan Tobin as their new strength and conditioning coach following Aled Walters' surprise departure.

Walters defected to Andy Farrell's Ireland last month, while defence coach Felix Jones is negotiating his release from a 12-month notice period after unexpectedly handing in his resignation.

However, England head coach Steve Borthwick has moved to sign Tobin, with the 40-year-old set to join next month from Gloucester.

Tobin, who previously worked with Leinster Rugby and the Dublin footballers, has spent the last eight years at Gloucester as head of performance.

"We are very pleased to be welcoming Dan to the coaching team and excited to see the impact he’ll make," said Borthwick.

"Dan is an outstanding S&C coach, who has a wealth of rugby experience and a proven track record in maximising the physical performance of his players and helping them reach their full potential."

Tobin added: "I feel honoured to be joining England and to be working with such a talented group of players and coaches.

"I’m excited by the progress the team has made over the last 12 months and I look forward to contributing to its success."

England are next in action on 2 November when they welcome New Zealand to the Allianz Stadium, formerly Twickenham, for their opening match of the Autumn Nations Series.

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