Steve Borthwick has defended his England coaching set-up by insisting the sudden departures of Felix Jones and Aled Walters do not reflect the environment he has created.
Jones, who coached defence, handed in his notice last August despite not having a replacement job, while Walters, the former head of strength and conditioning, took on a similar role with the Irish.
Both coaches were seen as key figures in England’s quest to win the 2027 World Cup and their departures have left Borthwick scrambling to find replacements ahead of the Autumn Nations Series.
Jones claims the decision was made due to “unstable working conditions” and the Irishman is currently working remotely while negotiating a release from the 12-month notice period stipulated in his contract.
Borthwick admits their exit is “disappointing and surprising” but points to the continued presence of Richard Wigglesworth, Tom Harrison, Kevin Sinfield and Andrew Strawbridge as evidence of a stable backroom staff.
move forward
Speaking publicly for the first time since Jones and Walters made their bombshell decisions, Borthwick said: “The importance of reflecting on our practices and environment every day is something I spoke to the players about just last week.”
He continued, “I respected the fact that the two people decided to move to another place due to personal and personal reasons.
“But there are also a lot of people who want to be here. The core coaching group is here and the resumes I have sent (high quality resumes) mean there are a lot of people who would like to coach this England team.
“I have a pretty solid coaching team and they are people I have been working with for some time now.”
Jones will hand over defensive duties to Joe El-Abd and provide analysis of England’s opponents in New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Japan at the Allianz Stadium in Twickenham next month.
The 36-year-old Irishman began working for Borthwick in December after joining from Rassie Erasmus’ South African outfit, where he was part of the 2019 and 2023 World Cup winners.
double blow
“A few days after hearing the news about Aled, Felix told me he didn’t want to work with the team and wanted to go in a different direction,” Borthwick said.
“Felix and Allred are close, but we are still disappointed and surprised. I didn’t expect that.
“Felix is a top-notch coach who has added a lot to this team. As always, it’s professional sports. Things change and move on.
“I have a lot of respect for Allred and I have a lot of respect for Felix. But my job is to focus on the coaches I work with and coach the players on the squad.”
Borthwick are looking at Phil Morrow as Walters’ replacement but the Rugby Football Union, who recently signed a four-year deal with Saracens, is paying the price to secure his release.
Saracens’ Gallagher Premiership rivals have blocked a club and country job-sharing deal over a possible conflict of interest, which will see Dan Tobin take charge of players’ conditioning in the meantime.
“We are still keen to find ways to make this work. I hope to have him working with this team at some point in the future,” Borthwick said.
Henry Slade is set to feature in the autumn opener against the All Blacks on November 2 after being included in England’s 36-man squad for the series.
Slade’s return from shoulder surgery is imminent and he could play as a midfielder, but Alex Mitchell has been left out of the group due to a neck injury.
Read more: England leave Alex Mitchell out of Autumn International squad due to neck injury
