England receive blow in search for Felix Jones replacement as clubs issue hands-off warnings to Steve Borthwick
England head coach Steve Borthwick and defence guru Paul Gustard.
Steve Borthwick has received a setback in his search to find England’s next defence coach after the French clubs made their positions clear.
The Red Rose are looking for a replacement for Felix Jones, who tendered his resignation recently after reportedly being “unhappy with the unstable working environment.”
Although the Irishman has a 12-month notice period, Borthwick has already started his search for the country’s next defence guru.
The contenders
It was widely reported that three names were on the shortlist, with two Englishman and a South African in contention.
They were Paul Gustard and Joe El-Abd, who are currently at Stade Francais and Oyonnax respectively, and the Stormers’ Norman Laker.
According to the Telegraph, that has been cut down to two with Gustard and El-Abd the preferred candidates for Borthwick.
However, the England head coach faces a battle to hire either of them with the French outfits standing firm amidst the rumours over their futures.
England: Shock contender on Steve Borthwick’s three-man shortlist to replace ‘unhappy’ Felix Jones
“I have no contact with the RFU but for Joe, the situation is clear: it is impossible for him to leave Oyonnax now, we have a deal, and he will finish the season,” the president of Oyonnax, Dougal Bendjaballah, told the Telegraph.
Stade issued a similarly strong statement over Gustard, with chief executive Thomas Lombard saying: “It is impossible for us to let Paul leave Stade Français, he is under contract until 2026. We want to keep him.”
Former England coach
Gustard was England’s defence coach under Eddie Jones between 2016 and 2018 before he left to become head of rugby at Harlequins in 2021.
However, it did not go to plan at the Londoners and he departed in 2021, but the 48-year-old rebuilt his career at Benetton and most recently with Stade Francais.
His influence was shown last season with Stade having the best defensive record in the Top 14, making him a prized asset at the Parisians.
The RFU could look to buy Gustard out of his Stade contract, something they have done in the past, in an attempt to get him in on board.
Meanwhile, in El-Abd’s case, his contract runs out at the end of the season, which could be good timing considering it coincides with the conclusion of Jones’ notice period, but Borthwick may well want to bring his man in sooner.
Another sticking point could be that El-Abd, who is a good friend of the England head honcho, has also been linked with other jobs in France.
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