England head coach Steve Borthwick has defended the national team’s environment following the unexpected departures of two key coaches.
Defence coach Felix Jones and head of strength and conditioning Aled Walters both resigned in August, sparking concerns about the stability of England’s coaching setup.
Borthwick, speaking at Twickenham on Wednesday, admitted he was “disappointed and surprised” by the exits but insisted they were due to personal reasons.
“Clearly, Aled making a decision to go and join Ireland was a surprise,” Borthwick said. “He talked about wanting a different challenge.”
Borthwick revealed that Jones’ decision came shortly after Walters’ departure.
“It was a few days later that Felix told me, having had the Aled news, that he didn’t want to work with the team,” Borthwick explained.
Steve Borthwick has been left disappointed by the sudden departures in his coaching staff
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Despite the setbacks, the head coach remains confident in England’s coaching environment.
He emphasised that many high-quality candidates are eager to join the team, stating, “There’s also a lot of people that want to be here. And I’ll go back to the core and the coaching group is there. The high-quality CVs I got sent means there’s a lot of people who want to coach this England team.”
Borthwick is actively working to stabilise his coaching team, with a particular focus on securing Phil Morrow from Saracens as Walters’ replacement.
However, this pursuit has faced obstacles, as Premiership clubs rejected a proposed job-sharing arrangement.
“We went through a very transparent and open process with the clubs, and clearly the PRL clubs decided that they stood against it,” Borthwick said.
Despite this setback, he remains determined to bring Morrow on board.
“I think we are still intent on finding a way to make this work,” he added, though he acknowledged that a resolution before the Six Nations is unlikely.
In the interim, Borthwick has made adjustments to his coaching staff.
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Joe El-Abd has been appointed as the new defence coach, combining his England responsibilities with his role as director of rugby at Oyonnax.
Dan Tobin, recruited from Gloucester, will oversee strength and conditioning during the autumn internationals.
Borthwick expressed confidence in his current team, stating, “For me, we have quite a stable coaching team and they are guys I’ve worked with for a period of time now.”
He also highlighted the ongoing presence of Richard Wigglesworth, Tom Harrison, Kevin Sinfield, and Andrew Strawbridge as evidence of continuity within the coaching setup.
Defence coach Felix Jones is one of two departures in the coaching staff
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England are now gearing up for their autumn internationals, with matches scheduled against New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Japan.
The squad will assemble at Pennyhill Park on Monday before flying to Girona for a training camp next week. Their first fixture is against the All Blacks on 2 November.
Henry Slade is included in the 36-man squad and is on track to feature in the opener, having recovered from shoulder surgery.
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Steve Borthwick has defended the working environment at England
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However, Alex Mitchell will be absent due to a neck injury.
Borthwick emphasised the importance of reflection, stating, “Reflecting on our practices and environments daily is something I spoke to the players about just last week.”