Jones fires England coaches for ‘guys I can work with’
Eddie Jones, the Australian strategist charged with driving England back towards the top of the global rankings following a miserable World Cup on home soil, fired his first bullets yesterday by confirming that none of the existing front-line coaching staff would continue in their roles. Andy Farrell, Graham Rowntree and Mike Catt are all following Jones’ predecessor, Stuart Lancaster, through the Twickenham exit door.
Farrell, a major voice in the Lancaster set-up, was the England backs coach during the World Cup and also pieced together the team’s defensive game. Rowntree, a scrum coach of long standing with both the national team and the British & Irish Lions, was given responsibility for the entire forward operation, while Catt concentrated on a tailor-made role as attacking skills specialist.
“They’re outstanding coaches, but I just feel at this stage that we need to have some new thoughts and new ideas coming in,” Jones explained. “One of the most unpleasant things to do is let people go and you try to give them due process. I’ve spoken to them individually and I’ve got different views on what’s happened with England from players, administrators and other coaches.
“I felt it was in the interests of the team to move on, but England are very grateful for their contributions and I’m sure that in the future they’ll keep contributing in a different way. On behalf of the Rugby Football Union and the players who have benefited from their coaching, I wish them the very best.”
Jones added that the incoming coaching team, certain to include Steve Borthwick of Bristol and Paul Gustard of Saracens at the forward end of the spectrum, would consist of “guys who can workwith me, understand my philosophy of play and add to that philosophy”.
There was no official announcement on another of Lancaster’s recruits, the head of athletic performance Matt Parker, but it seems he, too, is surplus to requirements. Parker was brought in from Dave Brailsford’s wildly successful British Cycling set-up, where he had been the “director of marginal gains”. By all accounts, Parker’s gains on the rugby side of things were a little too marginal for comfort.
Borthwick and Gustard are now the subject of discussions between their respective clubs and the governing
body. Assuming the numbers add up in terms of compensation, they will be in place ahead of the Six Nations campaign, which begins in February with what is certain to be a difficult meeting with a resurgent Scotland.
While they will cover a good deal of ground with the forwards, there is still a question mark over the technical coaching of the scrum. When Japan were springing their surprises at the recent World Cup under Jones’ guidance – and, indeed, Borthwick’s – Marc Dal Maso took charge of the set piece. The ex-Agen player has now resumed a consultancy role in New Zealand with the Otago-based Highlanders.
Dal Maso announced yesterday that he has been suffering from Parkinson’s Disease. “I was diagnosed in 2012 and I am on medication morning, noon and night,” he said. “I did not tell Eddie when he asked me to become Japan’s scrum coach and working there gave me confidence. By speaking now, I hope I can get a message across.
“I do not have this through chance. Let’s just say there are sports that ‘help’ illnesses like this and rugby is one of them. I am not sure exactly how it happened but I can remember suffering two serious hits in my career. Today, I am very afraid of the effect concussion will have on players.”