Northampton Saints appoint Alan Gaffney as director of rugby

• Eddie Jones’s assistant with Wallabies replaces Jim Mallinder who was sacked• Australian takes charge of first match on 6 January against GloucesterNorthampton have appointed the Australian Alan Gaffney – formerly Eddie Jones’s assistant with the Wallabies – to replace Jim Mallinder until the end of the season.Gaffney, who was Saracens’ director of rugby from 2006 to 2008, joins Northampton as technical coaching consultant, charged with reversing a dismal run of form that has led to them slipping to 10th in the Premiership and which cost Mallinder his job this month. Related: Manu Tuilagi le…