The pair joined Saints just a year ago, and are yet to taste defeat after leading the club through an unbeaten campaign that culminated in a National League and National Trophy double.

That follows a highly successful spell in charge of England Saxons, that saw the nation's B team unbeaten for two years and collecting the Barclays Churchill Cup along the way.

Their success has been recognised by Rugby News as it has included forwards coach West and director of rugby Mallinder in their Top 10 Coaching Stars of the Future.

About Mallinder it says: "You don't get any better than perfect and that's precisely what former Sale coach Mallinder achieved in piloting Northampton back to the top flight."

And on former Leicester and England hooker West it says: "He talks with the kind of brutal honesty he was famed for as a player. No pack he builds will take a backwards step."

Mallinder's potential has always been recognised in the game and he was feted by England to be their new backs coach under Martin Johnson until Saints warded them off with a new three-year deal for the former PE teacher.

Also in Rugby News' top 10 are Saracens forwards coach Alex Sanderson, England boss Johnson, new RFU head of elite player development Stuart Lancaster, London Irish's player-coach Mike Catt and forwards coach Toby Booth, national academy coach Martin Haag, ex-England Under-20s boss Nigel Redman and Harlequins assistant academy director Tony Diprose.