Brian Ashton (rugby player)

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Brian Ashton (born 3 September 1946 in Leigh, Lancashire) is a former rugby union footballer and currently England Assistant Coach responsible for attack.

Brian Ashton is widely recognised as one of the finest backs coaches in world rugby. Arguably, England played their most attractive and attacking rugby while Ashton was Sir Clive Woodward's assistant from 1998 to 2002. Ashton, who, in his first spell as Head Coach, led Bath to their last domestic trophy in 1996, built his credentials on an expansive approach. As Assistant Coach of Bath, under Jack Rowell, he helped establish Bath as the kings of English rugby for a decade to the mid-1990s.

Ashton has previously said, "My main strength is as a coach. I see my job as improving players individually, to do the technical work with them, and also to establish the environment, the framework, in which the players operate." However, Ashton also has a reputation as an imaginative tactician who thinks deeply about Rugby. In Ashton’s philosophy the backs comprise three creative forces (the scrum-half, the fly-half and the inside-centre) and four penetrative finishers (the outside- centre, the two wings and the full-back).

Brian Ashton was the RFU’s National Academy Manager from 2002 to 2005. In this role Ashton played a key part in the launch of England Rugby’s National Academy system since its inception in 2002, creating the Junior and Senior National Academies to develop the most talented players at England A, Sevens, Under 21 and Under 19 level.

His coaching career also included an unhappy and brief spell as National Coach of Ireland (1997-98). Ashton had been awarded a six year contract by the IRFU but resigned barely 12 months later after a series of disappointing results and against a background where private arguments or disagreements with the team manager - Pat Whelan - were frequently aired in public.

In 2005, Ashton returned to Bath as head coach, but in 2006 he left this role, and was appointed as England attack coach to assist head coach Andy Robinson, alongside forwards' coach John Wells and defence coach Mike Ford.