Rugby Union: Jones Quits Queensland for Uk

Eddie Jones, Australia's coach in the 2003 World Cup final, left Queensland Reds yesterday to move to England. Jones spent the second half of last season as Saracens' caretaker director of rugby and had been linked with a full-time return to Vicarage Road the season after next, having agreed to act as a coaching consultant for four months from this June.

Jones had intended to return to Queensland but a dismal Super 14 campaign and a number of spats with the Australian Rugby Union prompted a mutual ending of his contract two years early. Relegated Northampton are seeking a director of rugby and Jones was on a list of names drawn up by the club but the Saints turned to their former head coach, Wayne Smith, who is currently part of New Zealand's management team, when they realized Jones intended to go to Saracens next year. Smith has said he will make a decision after this autumn's World Cup.

The Australia hooker Jeremy Paul has demanded that he be released early from his ARU contract to join Gloucester next month, after being left out of the squad for the upcoming two Tests against Wales. "I just want to get on with the next chapter of my career," said the 29-year old, who fears his omission means he has no chance of playing in the World Cup.

Bristol's No8 Dan Ward-Smith will spend the next month in Vermont working with the knee specialist Bill Knowles. Ward-Smith ruptured his patella tendon and dislocated his knee in late January, a week before his proposed England debut against Scotland. Knowles worked successfully on Richard Hill, Charlie Hodgson, Jason White and Austin Healey. Ward-Smith said: "I'm really excited about working with one of the world's foremost knee experts who will help me to get closer to my goal of playing rugby again."