by England defense coach Kevin Sinfield will leave Steve Borthwick’s coaching staff this summer after being moved to a new role as skills coach for the upcoming Six Nations.
Borthwick revealed on Thursday that he had reshuffled his coaching staff for this year’s championship, with Sinfield moving into his new role where he will be responsible for “passing skills with the kickers and goalkeepers” before it will depart later this year after the tour. New Zealand.
Andrew Strawbridge, the skills guru who helped the All Blacks to the silver medal at the 2023 Rugby World Cup, will step in as a consultant for the first four weeks of the Six Nations, overseeing several areas of Borthwick’s programme.
Felix Jones, the Irishman who won back-to-back World Cups with South Africa as assistant coach, will replace Sinfield as Borthwick’s defensive lieutenant. There is no change in the roles of Richard Wigglesworth and Tom Harrison, attack coach and scrum coach respectively.
“Kev made the decision about what he wanted to do,” said Borthwick, who is not privy to Sinfield’s long-term plan.
“At the end of the World Cup, all members of the management team needed a chance to relax, decompress, reflect and spend some time with friends and family. A few weeks later Kev and I met and he gave me his decision.
“During these first 12 months, Kev’s role and contribution as we restructure the team, you cannot overstate the value he has brought, what he has done and the relationships he has built .
“It’s great that he’s continuing with the team [until after the summer]. So I changed his role to skills and he will be working specifically on catch-pass skills with the kickers and goalies, which he does very well.”
‘Farrell showed a lot of courage’
Along with the coaching reshuffle, Borthwick spoke to the media on Thursday for the first time since Owen Farrell’s decision to take an indefinite leave from international rugby. The head coach, who hopes Farrell will play for England again, said the abuse his captain received was “appalling”, adding that Rugby Football is assessing the level of support available to the men’s team.
“Owen and I spoke right at the end of the World Cup,” said Borthwick. “We were actually in Paris. Then he took a period of reflection and we met a few weeks later and he told me about his decision to quit. I have a lot of respect for this man, as a man, as a player and as a leader.
“It takes a lot of courage to do what he’s done. The hate being spread online is not okay, it’s not right. For people to have to endure that, their families have to endure that, to drive [Farrell and two English officials] It’s out of the game, but terrible. I don’t have the answers to it, but I know it’s wrong and they’re not real rugby fans saying this stuff.
“I don’t think any of us expected what happened at that World Cup, or that level of vitriol against certain people and certain teams. We have looked closely at the support we give to our players, management team, officials, our families. That’s a big area we’re looking at to make sure we’re maximizing all the support we can get.”
Older players want to stay involved with England
To replace Farrell, Borthwick needs a new captain, who he will name on January 17 along with the rest of his England Six Nations squad. With one eye on the next World Cup in 2027, Borthwick confirmed that the senior players from the World Cup were still in his plans for the championship.
“The players have to play well,” Borthwick said. “And that’s why we’re out watching the players, visiting all the clubs and seeing how they train. That’s why we’re talking to their coaches all the time.
“I spoke to some of the players, you could say ‘senior’ players, players who might not be there in 2027,” said Borthwick. “And I talked to them about the next steps. The number of them who said: ‘Maybe I won’t be there in four years, but I want to help this team and I want to help young players come through now. I think there is value to add and I think I could help.’
“That tells me that these players really care about this team, and they want to help this team grow and develop and get stronger from this foundation.
“It is clear that there is a need to evolve and develop. We know that there is a balance between wanting to win every game we play in – because we want to win every game – and making sure we succeed in every competition or league we play, and being ready for 2027. That’s the balance. But I try to keep things as simple as possible for the players. Play well, make a choice and help this team be successful. And that’s the best way for this team to be ready for 2027.”
