Following the abrupt resignation of Felix Jones amidst a tumultuous summer, it is anticipated that Steve Borthwick will nominate Joe El-Abd as the new defensive coach for England. Currently positioned as the chief coach at Oyonnax, El-Abd has reportedly been proposed for the role by Borthwick, with the Rugby Football Union nearing the finalisation of the terms for his appointment. The aspiration is for El-Abd, who is 44, to assume his role in time for England’s tests in November, subject to early release from his contract with the Pro D2 team.
In the early stages of Eddie Jones’s leadership, the role was held by Paul Gustard, who was a potential candidate this time, as well, along with Norman Laker from South Africa, as expressed by Borthwick. Yet, El-Abd has emerged as the leading choice. The relationship between El-Abd, ex-Bristol flanker, and Borthwick, who were flatmates during university days at Bath, is highly regarded, particularly following two surprise resignations this season.
El-Abd’s announcement of his sudden departure was a shock to the RFU, eight months into his tenure and just prior to the new season. Borthwick had already had the head of strength and conditioning, Aled Walters, poached by Ireland, and Jones’s resignation surfaced with allegations of a ‘volatile work atmosphere’.
Known for his impressive skillset, El-Abd ended his playing stint at Oyonnax in 2014, soon joining the coaching team initially as a forwards trainer. After a year-long tenure, he moved onto Castres, later returning to Oyonnax as the head coach in 2019. El-Abd is well-respected within the RFU and was briefly positioned as defensive coach for an England XV against the Barbarians in 2019, when Eddie Jones delegated his responsibilities to Jim Mallinder.
Undeniably, the transition from France’s second-tier league to the international platform is a significant leap. The consensus is that he remains dedicated to persisting with the intensely forward-defensive approach that Jones put into practice, though he has not yet achieved the same recognition as the Irishman, who played a crucial role in South Africa’s successful defence of the World Cup title last year. Borthwick, nonetheless, is hopeful that forming strategic alliances will help instil a sense of equilibrium.
The English Rugby Football Union’s (RFU) ability to expediently arrange El-Abd’s release prior to the autumn internationals will play a deciding role in determining whether Jones retains his position with teams hailing from New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Japan visiting Allianz Stadium in November. Oyonnax clearly communicated last week their expectation of El-Abd to stay on board till the end of the season, but the RFU has a track record of being prepared to shell out recompenses for early coach releases, as seen twice in Borthwick’s case. The future plan of action for Jones is somewhat uncertain, but it would be quite expected if he becomes a component of Andy Farrell’s coaching team for the British & Irish Lions’ Australia tour next year.
This month, Borthwick brought on board Dan Tobin from Gloucester as a fresh strength and conditioning coach. Tobin, a former Irish international sprinter, has been leading performance at Gloucester for the preceding eight years, but will now be stepping into Tom Tombleson’s shoes, who, after a tenure of 10 years, exited the national team during the summer. – Guardian