Former England coach Brian Smith dies aged 59

Former England assistant coach Brian Smith has died at the 59 after a battle with an aggressive cancer.

Dr Ian PM Lambert, principal Scots College where Smith had worked since 2015, confirmed his death on Wednesday.

The former fly-half made six appearances for Australia, including three at the 1987 Rugby World Cup, before earning nine caps for Ireland while studying at Oxford University. Upon his return to Australia, Smith made the move to rugby league, where he made 43 NRL appearances across four seasons for the Balmain Tigers and Eastern Suburbs.

Following his playing career, Smith became coaching coordinator at the Brumbies in 2000 before returning to the northern hemisphere as Bath’s joint head coach in 2002, before becoming London Irish’s director of rugby in 2005.

After three successful years with London Irish, guiding them to the Challenge Cup final in 2006 and the Heineken Cup semi-finals in 2008, Smith joined Martin Johnson’s England coaching team in 2008, serving as attack coach until Johnson’s exit after the 2011 World Cup.

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Smith then returned to London Irish until 2015, before heading back to his native Australia in 2015 to become director of rugby and assistant director of sport at Sydney’s Scots College, where he coached a number of Australia internationals, including Angus Bell.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Bell said: “He was coaching at Scots and coached a lot of us coming through the grades and I just wanted to say it’s a really sad time and we’re wishing the best for his wife and kids.

“You know, he was an avid rugby person and helped a lot of individuals in the squad so just sending my condolences from the Wallabies and both myself.

“He was my coach in GPS, and NSW twos. I was 16 and fair to say that I wouldn’t have played anywhere near as good without him.

“Me, Jeremy Williams and Will Harris from the Force were really close with him and he was a great bloke, a great father, a great coach.”

Former England fly-half Andy Goode, who played under Smith for the national team, described the Australian as a “quality coach” on social media.

“Sad news hearing of the passing of my old England coach Brian Smith,” he wrote. “A cracking bloke and a quality coach in his time, thoughts with his family at this sad time RIP Smithy.”