A world-class rugby team requires a world-class coaching team. England have been haemorrhaging coaches over the last 12 months and are now struggling to deliver either.
The biggest and most disruptive of those departures appeared to be Felix Jones, who has just been re-signed by world champions South Africa after completing his notice period with England.
Jones joined the set-up before the start of the 2024 Six Nations but resigned in August last year, reportedly due to an “unstable working environment”.
The 37-year-old Irishman worked as an assistant coach for the Springboks at the 2019 and 2023 World Cups, both of which they won, so his arrival at Pennyhill Park was seen as a major coup for Borthwick before his second Six Nations campaign in charge. South African players waxed lyrical about the outgoing Jones, calling him “unbelievable”, “a privilege to work with” and “an amazing coach and person”. Kwagga Smith said that “all of us as Springboks are better players because of him”.
But despite being widely expected to work as England’s attack coach, as he had to such acclaim for South Africa, incumbent assistant coach Richard Wigglesworth retained that role and Jones was instead tasked with defence. He quit after just seven months, and was made to work his notice period remotely and provide tactical analysis.
As soon as he was free of his England deal, South Africa wasted no time in re-hiring him as one of their six assistant coaches, three of whom Jones worked with before he left after the 2023 World Cup.
“His experience, professionalism, and excellent work ethic will make him a great addition to the fantastic coaching team we built from the beginning of 2024,” South Africa’s head coach Rassie Erasmus said.
“Felix worked very closely with most of our coaches in the past, and I have no doubt he’ll work equally closely with Jerry [Flannery] and Tony [Brown], who joined us last season.
“After spending some time in England, his experience of working in the UK and studying the opposition teams in the Six Nations and other international tournaments will add immense value in assisting us to adapt and improve as we cast an eye on a tough international season ahead.”
That last line is a thinly veiled jibe that deftly humiliates English rugby. Jones wasn’t even in camp the week England played South Africa last autumn, and Borthwick evaded questions about his level of gameplan input. Now the 37-year-old has turned triple agent and will be back in Cape Town, his trusty laptop in hand, telling the Boks everything they need to know about Borthwick’s England. Not that the double world champions need it of course, but they are unrelenting in their thirst for knowledge and success.
“I had not heard until this morning, we wish him well,” said Kevin Sinfield, who preceded Jones in the England defence coach role and now works on skills and kicking.
“I really enjoyed working with him, got on great with him and I wish him well, everyone in the squad would and I look forward to coming up against him again.”
It was a surprise then, to the England camp, and should also be a wake-up call to the RFU about how unattractive their elite set-up has become to high-level coaches.
Hiring Jones looked like a possible masterstroke until he quit. Not long after, fitness coach Tom Tombleson left after 10 years working with England. Strength and conditioning expert Aled Walters, another poach from South Africa, quit that same summer. Sinfield missed several weeks in the autumn because of his book tour. Joe El-Abd, Jones’s replacement as defence coach and Borthwick’s old flatmate, is on a job-share with second-tier French side Oyonnax. Phil Morrow is to replace Walters as head of strength and conditioning – but Premiership clubs blocked a request for him to do it alongside his performance role at Saracens, and that move will not take place until this coming summer. Borthwick has few credible answers for any questions about this growing trend.
This is not what high performance sport looks like. If England want to know what it does look like, they only need to read the press release from the Springboks on Thursday.
Erasmus adds: “As a team we are well aware that we need to keep improving and growing if we want to remain one of the best teams in the world and to give ourselves the best possible chance to defend our World Cup title in Australia in 2027, and Felix, like all the other coaching and support staff, will play a key role in guiding us to do so.”
Whatever England are doing, it is not improving and growing. In the case of the coaching team, the best guys are walking away and it is an increasing struggle to replace them.
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