Steve Borthwick fills vacant England role after ‘deeply disappointing’ exits
Steve Borthwick has filled a key vacancy in the England coaching team.
Steve Borthwick has filled the void in the England coaching following the shock exit of strength and conditioning coach Aled Walters.
The influential head of strength and conditioning, who helped the Springboks win the Rugby World Cup in 2019, defected to Andy Farrell’s Ireland last month.
Dan Tobin joins England coaching team
His void has now been filled by England head coach Borthwick who has appointed Dan Tobin to his coaching team as the new strength and conditioning coach.
The 40-year-old joins the England men’s set-up in October from Gloucester Rugby where he worked as head of performance for the last eight years.
Prior to his time at Kingsholm, Tobin spent a decade as a strength and conditioning coach at Leinster Rugby, and several years at the Dublin GAA Senior Football Team.
A former Irish international sprinter, Tobin will be tasked with optimising the physical performance of the England squad and ensuring the players are physically prepared to meet the demands of Test match rugby.
“We are very pleased to be welcoming Dan to the coaching team and excited to see the impact he’ll make,” said Borthwick.
“Dan is an outstanding S&C coach, who has a wealth of rugby experience and a proven track record in maximising the physical performance of his players and helping them reach their full potential.”
Tobin added: “I feel honoured to be joining England and to be working with such a talented group of players and coaches.
“I’m excited by the progress the team has made over the last 12 months and I look forward to contributing to its success.”
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Deeply disappointed
The appointment comes after Rugby Football Union after chief executive Bill Sweeney expressed his dismay in the exit of Walters and fellow assistant Felix Jones.
Defence coach Jones is currently negotiating release from his 12-month notice period after unexpectedly handing in his resignation.
It is reported that Jones, the mastermind of England’s increasingly effective blitz defensive system, was “unhappy with the unstable working environment”, but Sweeney does not recognise this description of the team that has taken strides forward this year.
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“We are deeply disappointed that this has taken place with no indication that it was going to happen. It came out of the blue,” Sweeney said.
“I feel for Steve. Steve has made some choices and has brought some people in and I feel for him at the moment.
“We’ve seen some good momentum and progression in terms of how the England team has been playing under Steve as head coach.
“There is huge excitement around the squad about how the team played at the back end of the Six Nations and on the summer tour to New Zealand, which was really encouraging.
“We’ve got the autumn coming up, so for that to happen was massively disappointing.
“What I can say though is that Steve has absolute 100 per cent support from us – from me personally and of the RFU.
“I can also say categorically he has the full support 100 per cent of the squad. The players are very keen to get this message across that they feel they’re building something special now.”
The upheaval in Borthwick’s coaching team has been likened to that of the previous regime with Eddie Jones going through a massive turnover of staff during his tenure.
“It’s not correct to compare this situation with the previous regime. I don’t believe the circumstances are the same. It’s a completely different situation,” Sweeney said rejecting the comparison.
“It’s a valid question and of course we should be concerned. We are concerned and get involved in it, but it’s not right to compare the two situations.”
England kickstart their 2024/25 international season when they welcome New Zealand at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham on Saturday 2 November (kick-off 3.10pm) for their first match of the 2024 Autumn Nations Series, before taking on Australia, South Africa and Japan.
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