England: Nick Evans joins Steve Borthwick’s coaching staff ahead of the Six Nations

Former All Blacks fly-half Nick Evans will join the England coaching staff for the upcoming Six Nations, the Rugby Football Union (RFU) have confirmed.

England head coach Steve Borthwick has added Harlequins attack coach Evans to his coaching team for the Championship, where he will perform the same role for the Test side and work alongside defence coach Kevin Sinfield.

Short-term fix

England have not confirmed the future of Martin Gleeson, who worked as Eddie Jones’ attack coach, while former forwards coach Matt Proudfoot has left the set-up and taken up a head coach role in South Africa.

Meanwhile, Evans comes into the coaching team for the duration of the Six Nations tournament. He will work part-time with Harlequins during the club’s matches against Gloucester and Exeter Chiefs in the Premiership and return to Harlequins full-time after the Six Nations. 

England head coach Borthwick said: “I am delighted that Nick is joining our team ahead of the Six Nations.

“Nick brings with him a wealth of different experiences as a player and coach, which will be incredibly valuable to the growth of our team.

“I know that Nick understands the pride and responsibility that comes with representing your country.

“We aim to build an England team that our nation can be proud of, and I know that our supporters will be very excited by what Nick can bring to our side.

Borthwick thanked Harlequins for supporting the Red Rose by allowing Evans to join their coaching team.

“We’d particularly like to thank Harlequins for their support in allowing Nick to work with us during this period. It’s a great example of club and country working together,” he said.

Harlequins Director of Rugby Performance Billy Millard hailed the move as ‘an amazing opportunity’ for Evans.

“This is an amazing opportunity for Nick, where he will learn and grow so much, which can only be good for the club,” he said.

“I am also confident he will provide Steve and the playing group with excellent support and direction through the 2023 Six Nations period.”

Evans’ playing and coaching career

Evans played 16 Test matches for the All Blacks since making his debut against England in 2004.

A talented fly-half, he made 44 appearances in Super Rugby split across his stints with the Highlanders and Blues.

Evans moved to Harlequins in 2008, winning the Challenge Cup with the Famous Quarters in 2011 and the Premiership in 2012.

He ended his playing career in 2017 and, at the time, held the record for the most Premiership points by an overseas player in the league’s history.

Evans played over 200 times for Harlequins, surpassing the 2000 points mark for the club.

He joined Harlequins’ coaching staff after retirement becoming the team’s attack coach, once again helping the club win the Premiership in 2021.

England’s opening game of the Six Nations is against Scotland at Twickenham Stadium on Saturday, February 4.

READ MORE: Six Nations: Top 11 coaches with the most titles and Grand Slams in the history of the Championship