Former Ireland Assistant Coach Joins London Irish

London Irish are delighted to have secured the services of former Ireland Assistant Coach Mark Tainton for the 2014/15 season.

He held roles with Richmond, Oxford University and Munster before being appointed Assistant Coach of Ireland in 2003 where he was for 10 years working specifically as a technical kicking coach with Ronan O’Gara and Jonny Sexton.

Mark has joined the Club as Skills Coach with his remit including kick, catch and pass.

Tainton is a former fly half who played with Bristol for 13 years and was capped at both England A and Under 23 level. He joins London Irish having previously held a consultancy role with the Welsh region, Scarlets. 
He retired from rugby in 1997 and was appointed kicking coach for the England tour to Argentina that summer.

Commenting on his appointment London Irish Director of Rugby Brian Smith said: “It’s great to have Mark on-board. He is an experienced coach who can really aid our kickers as well as developing the core skills of the playing squad. Kicking is a key part of the game and to have someone with the knowledge and expertise of Mark is a real positive for London Irish.”

Mark Tainton added: “I’m delighted to have joined the London Irish in this hugely exciting time. Everything is in place off the field to ensure the players and coaches can prosper. I look forward to working with Brian Smith and the rest of the coaching staff over the coming season.”

London Irish can also confirm that Jonathan Shelbourne has joined the Club as Senior Analyst and Tom Gallagher has joined the medical department as a Physiotherapist.