BREAKING: Burnell takes over at Rotherham Titans

The 48-year-old arrived at Clifton Lane today to replace the outgoing Mark Jones and Burnell’s immediate brief will be to halt the club’s ten-game losing sequence and drag them out of the Championship’s relegation fight.

Jones parted company with Rotherham last night, Saturday’s 16-11 setback at Moseley being the final straw for directors Nick Cragg and Martin Jenkinson.

Burnell arrives with plenty of experience, most notably taking London Welsh into the Premiership in 2013 after a titanic grand final win against Andy Robinson’s moneybags Bristol.

Burnell remained at the helm for a stormy 2014 campaign when Welsh crashed out of the top flight after losing all their games.

But Rotherham believe he will bring the steel needed to revive Titans’ ailing season, knowing they can’t afford to drop out of the sport’s second tier.

Burnell played as a back row forward for Cardiff, Pontypridd and Neath and he also gained Wales A Honours.

When he turned to coaching he was made Academy Director at Welsh regional side Cardiff Blues and head coach at Cardiff RFC. He was also the Head Coach of Wales U19, which won the Grand Slam in 2006.

He was appointed forwards coach of Cardiff Blues in 2008, assisting Dai Young in leading them to a Heineken Cup Semi-Final in 2009, winning the EDF in 2009 and winning the Amlin Challenge Cup in 2010.

The following summer Burnell was appointed co-head coach of the Blues following the resignation of Dai Young, guiding them to the quarter finals of the Heineken Cup.