With the appointment of Steve Borthwick as England’s new head coach and Kevin Sinfield as their new defence coach, a new era has begun for the nation.
The Leicester Tigers announced that they had reached an agreement with Steve Borthwick and Kevin Sinfield for an early termination of their club contracts. Borthwick agrees to a five-year contract to keep him through the Australia 2027 Rugby World Cup.
After overseeing England’s worst season of results since 2008, with only five victories from 12 games, Jones was fired almost two weeks ago.
Who is Steve Borthwick?
During his career, Borthwick played for Bath Rugby and Saracens and was a formidable lock forward. Before moving to Saracens, where he made 144 appearances before hanging up his boots in 2014, he made 246 appearances for Bath over ten years (from 1998 to 2008).
Between 2001 and 2010, Borthwick earned 57 caps for England on the international stage and led his nation on several occasions. He received his first cap in the 2001 Six Nations match against France.
Although he was not a member of the renowned 2003 Rugby World Cup winning squad, it was during this time that he made a name for himself in the Premier Division by having a standout season with Bath. Borthwick made the England roster for the 2007 Rugby World Cup, but an injury in 2010 ended his international playing days.
The native of Cumbria started his coaching career in 2012 as Eddie Jones‘ assistant with Japan’s men’s national team. In 2015, he followed Jones to Twickenham, where he was appointed forwards coach. He also served briefly as that position’s Bristol Rugby counterpart.
With Leicester Tigers, where he served as head coach for the first time in 2020, Borthwick finished sixth in the Premiership and advanced to the European Challenge Cup final. Things significantly improved in the 2021–2022 season when Borthwick led the Tigers to their first championship since 2013.
On Saturday, in European Champions Cup play, Borthwick’s team defeated French team Clermont Auvergne 23-16.
What does this mean for England?
What does this mean for England, with Steve Borthwick taking over and Kevin Sinfield joining him as his Leicester Tigers assistant?
We will undoubtedly see a few hallmarks developing sooner rather than later based on his development from forwards coach under Eddie Jones in Japan and England to being the leading man at Welford Road.
Compared to his predecessor, who quickly lost his “charm” and effectiveness when the results stopped coming, Borthwick is different. His prior familiarity with the England team will be a tremendous asset. The playing roster is similar to when he left the national team in 2019. Some of the more recent stars, like Freddie Steward and Jack van Poortvliet, were already under his tutelage at Leicester. Despite what England’s fall international performances suggest, this team can compete with the best without a complete makeover. The skill is there, and with improved kicking, a well-coordinated attack, careful attention to detail at the set piece, and a boost of confidence, outcomes might change quickly. All of that can be delivered with ease by the new coach.
Importantly, Borthwick is bringing a covert weapon to the job with him, Robert Sinfield.
Former England and Great Britain rugby league international Sinfield was someone Borthwick insisted he wanted at Twickenham. They are a strong team. It would be overly simplistic to refer to them as the operation’s brains and brawn, respectively, because both men bring far more to the table than those simplistic labels suggest. Still, it is true that Sinfield’s natural charisma, which inspires and motivates, is the ideal complement to Borthwick’s analytical mind and incredible attention to detail. While the other captures players’ hearts, one captures their minds.
Under Jones, Borthwick gained notoriety as the forwards and line-out coach who turned Japan into a formidable team capable of competing with the best at the breakdown and in open play.
Expect England’s struggling scrum to tighten up and turn its attention to a strong line-out. Catch and drive will be back in vogue, just like in 2003. However, only when England has the upper hand and the circumstances demand it.
Above all, Borthwick is a realist. He will establish guiding principles while customising his strategy for the game. Steve will devise clever strategies to exploit the Springboks‘ limited mobility if England plays a heavy, physical team like them. He will slow down the play of a quick Japanese squad and reduce the area in front of them. It is standard practice for all rugby team selections, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise if his England team differs significantly from Jones’s in that it chooses players to fill specific tactical roles for particular matches.