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Dan Cole hints at Steve Borthwick's next move after Felix Jones exit
By Josh Raisey
England tighthead prop Dan Cole believes his head coach Steve Borthwick has a dilemma on his hands in deciding where to take the team’s defence following the shock exit of Felix Jones.
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While there is no clarity as to how long Jones will remain in his role of defence coach after handing in his resignation, something Cole himself is unsure about, the Leicester Tigers prop said Borthwick faces two choices once the former South Africa assistant coach eventually departs.
Speaking on his For the Love of Rugby podcast alongside Ben Youngs, England’s most capped active player said that Borthwick must choose between finding a coach that can implement the same defensive structure as Jones or bringing in a new coach that will bring their own style.
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Youngs echoed what Cole said, while highlighting how crucial the personality of a defence coach is, as it requires a buy-in from the players to adopt a certain system.
Though he is not aware of any candidates, Cole is backing his head coach to select someone that can “finish the job off” that Jones has started after a promising eight months in the role. He did specify that he knows very little about what Borthwick’s or the RFU’s plans are though.
“You see his defensive system, it’s been a real thing for England to hang their hat on- big line speed, big collisions, pressure at breakdowns, that’s the system he’s brought in,” the 115-cap international said of Jones.
“He’s a great coach, great guy, very intense, knows his stuff. It will be interesting to see how long he remains in the job for if he remains in the job, but I don’t know anything about that. What system do England next employ?
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“The thing about defence is you have to commit to it. You have to build your game plan around it and pick players that know how to do it. It becomes your style of team and I think Steve has allowed that to happen. He probably doesn’t get the credit that he’s allowed Felix to run it.
“It will be interesting to see if A, England stick with this system and try and find a coach to coach the system or whether you get in a new defence coach who coaches a new system. I would say, the way the game is going, England will want to keep that abrasive, attacking defensive system, but then you have to find a coach to coach the system.
“Some coaches, I guess, could coach the system and know it but aren’t coaching it because they aren’t allowed to. So there are so many combinations and thoughts that go into it, so it will be really interesting to see what happens next, but I’m sure if there’s one man with a plan it’s Steve and he knows what he wants and he’ll go out and get it and make sure the RFU give him the full backing to do what he needs to do to make the team better.
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“Knowing the little that I know, if it wasn’t Felix Jones doing that job, it would be someone else to try and be an aggressive defence, in your face, because that’s what Steve, the head coach of England, has decided wins games, that’s how he wants to run it. Rather than us going back to a more passive defence, you’ve gone down that road, so let’s take it to the full and finish the job off, rather than going ‘we’ve done it for a year, it’s been really good, but we’ll go back to something else because it’s the safer option’.
“I think he’ll find someone that can coach the system, but off the top of my head I don’t know anyone outside the South African set-up that does the system, but it doesn’t mean that there aren’t people out there that could coach it.”
There's an obvious answer... Shaun Edwards!
There’s another option. Get a new head coach and start over completely. While you have time.
😁
England should use Jones' notice period for him to train up his replacement. That's what the notice period is for in my opinion. Not needed for a traditional defence coach as anyone could slot in, so I think England have considered this eventuality in advance.
For English rugby IQ it would be extremely useful if an English coach could be the replacement.
Unless Sinfield has already seen enough of the Jones system to step up!