Rob Howley agrees new WRU deal

Wales assistant coach Rob Howley has followed Shaun Edwards' lead in agreeing a new long-term contract with the Welsh Rugby Union.

Howley has agreed a deal that will see him remain part of the national set-up until at least a full season after the next Rugby World Cup in 2015.

The former Wales scrum-half joined head coach Warren Gatland's backroom staff in 2008 and was part of the set-up that guided Wales to the semi-final of the recent World Cup in New Zealand.

Howley is the second member of Gatland's staff to commit his future to the Welsh cause after Edwards last week agreed a new deal to take him through until the 2015 World Cup.

Howley said: "I have thoroughly enjoyed the time I have spent with the national team so far, so I am delighted that work can now continue at least until 2016.

"As a coaching team we have achieved a lot of our aims in recent years but there are still a lot of exciting and challenging opportunities ahead."

Gatland added: "I am delighted that Rob will be working with us through until the next World Cup and will be continuing that work on into 2016.

"When I asked him to join the coaching team in Wales I knew the level of professionalism and skill he would bring with him and that has proved to be the case."

Gatland also confirmed that Ospreys prop Adam Jones will be unavailable for the December 3 meeting with Australia due to a recurrence of the calf injury that ended his World Cup.

Gatland said: "Adam has suffered a recurrence of his calf problem so he will be unavailable and we will need to call another prop into the squad."

PA