Coaching upheaval sets up pivotal autumn for England

It had not escaped Steve Borthwick’s attention as he unveiled his England squad for the autumn that he might not be the central story of the sporting day.

- HARRY LATHAM-COYLE

The former lock is not yet acquainted on a personal level with newly-unveiled football counterpart Thomas Tuchel, but he is sure he will soon be, such are the circles in which major sporting figureheads swim.

Events at Wembley may have stolen Borthwick’s thunder but this was nonetheless a crucial day for the Cumbrian. The last few months have been ones of yet more behind-the-scenes tumult within his coaching staff, England rocked in the summer by the departure of strength and conditioning guru Aled Walters and defence coach Felix Jones. Borthwick had not spoken publicly since.

”I understand when situations like that happen, we want to see the drama on the pitch and when we see stuff happening off the pitch, it’s characterised sometimes as drama,” Borthwick said, moving to play down suggestions of turmoil. “But for me, we have quite a stable coaching team: we have Wiggy [Richard Wigglesworth], we have Tom Harrison and Straws [Andrew Strawbridge] – these are guys I’ve worked with for a period of time now.”

Borthwick would not be drawn on the specifics of either departure. While Walters has taken up an exciting role in Ireland, where he lives, and is a strong contender to assist Andy Farrell on the British and Irish Lions tour next summer, Jones remains on the payroll of the Rugby Football Union (RFU) while he works a 12-month notice period. He will, in Borthwick’s words, provide support from afar on “specific projects regarding analysis” as Joe El-Abd - working two jobs as he oversees a final season at French club Oyonnax - takes up control of the defence.

Walters is yet to be directly replaced, with Borthwick’s attempts to appoint Saracens’s Phil Morrow so far blocked by the other Premiership clubs. It is still hoped that agreement will be reached to secure Morrow, but his arrival is unlikely to come before the Six Nations. Despite the head coach’s protestations, a picture of chaos is easy to paint.