Sale Sharks have appointed former England hooker Dorian West as forwards coach.
West spent 11 years as a coach at Northampton Saints, winning a Premiership title and two Challenge Cups.
He left Franklin’s Gardens at the end of the last season and will immediately link up with Sale, who sit bottom of the Premiership after three defeats from their opening four fixtures.
West was regarded as one of the best forwards coaches in Europe when he helped to steer Saints to the Heineken Cup final in 2011, with only a stunning second-half comeback from Leinster stopping Mallinder’s men lifting the trophy.
But after Mallinder was dismissed last December, it was decided that West would not be part of Chris Boyd’s coaching staff, with Phil Dowson stepping into the role of Saints forwards coach during the summer.