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England head coach Steve Borthwick has admitted he was “disappointed” by the shock departures of Aled Walters and Felix Jones from his coaching staff this summer but insisted he had full faith in his new group of assistants.
Head of strength and conditioning Walters departed for a similar role with Ireland in August before close friend Jones, who had been England’s defence coach, handed in his resignation.
The former Munster full-back is providing analysis support from afar as the Rugby Football Union (RFU) and Borthwick hold him to a 12-month notice period, though he has relinquished control of the defence to Joe El-Abd.
Walters, meanwhile, is yet to be replaced after Premiership clubs blocked England’s attempt to second Phil Morrow of Saracens, fearing a conflict of interest. With skills coach Kevin Sinfield also reducing his role and El-Abd combining his duties with coaching Oyonnax in France, it leaves only attack coach Richard Wigglesworth, scrum coach Tom Harrison and coaching advisor Andrew Strawbridge as full-time assistants under Borthwick’s employ.
The head coach insists, though, that he has a strong team in place as England gear up for November Tests against New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Japan.
“Clearly, Aled making a decision to go and join Ireland was a surprise,” Borthwick conceded. “He talked about wanting a different challenge. We have worked together for a number of years already – more than four years – and we’ve already done a World Cup with England.
“He made that decision, a very personal decision and I wished him well with it – not against us, clearly! He’s a coach I have a lot of admiration for and we’ve worked together for a long time so I’m disappointed by it.
“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 and he wanted to move in a different direction. The two of them are close, but it was still disappointing and surprising. I hadn’t anticipated it.
“Felix is a top-quality coach who has added a lot to this team. As ever, it’s professional sport; things change and things move on. To be able to bring Joe in was really pleasing. To be able to do that so quickly, ahead of this Autumn Nations Series, so that we are able to move on with Joe in place already coaching the players – it feels like we are moving forward.”
Dan Tobin, recruited from Gloucester to replace Walters’s deputy Tom Tombleson, is expected to oversee strength and conditioning matters during the autumn, though Borthwick still hopes to bring Morrow in.
Seven Premiership clubs turned down a proposal that would have seen him balance his duties at club level with his England role, worrying that his access to player data and medical records could pose problems.
Morrow recently signed a new, long-term contract in north London and has an important role at the club, meaning that buying him out of his deal may prove difficult for the RFU. Borthwick is hopeful that an agreement will eventually be reached, though fears he may not be in place until after next year’s Six Nations.
“We went through a very transparent and open process with the clubs, and clearly the Premiership clubs decided that they stood against it,” Borthwick explained. “I think we are still intent on finding a way to make this work.
“I think we’ve got to try to be respectful there so that we are not disrupting any one of our clubs. Timescales would probably be really relevant to that to ensure that, if there is a possibility of Phil joining, it is done in a way that allows the club to do things right. We go into camp on Monday, so 100 per cent of my energy and focus needs to be on this autumn series. I intend to revisit this and come to a solution post-that.”
England assemble at Pennyhill Park on Monday before flying to Girona for a training camp next week. Their first fixture of the autumn is against the All Blacks on 2 November.
