Once upon a time, not too long ago, Steve Borthwick and Geoff Parling were fierce rivals on opposite sides of the lineouts, Borthwick representing Saracens and Parling for Leicester. In the early 2010s, these clubs frequently met in playoff matches, including a couple of finals in 2010 and 2011, and a semi-final in 2012. Parling now recalls these encounters as 'humdingers.' A decade later, they will face off again at Twickenham on Saturday, this time as coaches—Borthwick with England and Parling with Australia, where he serves as Joe Schmidt's right-hand man.
Both men share a similar demeanor: tough, yet soft-spoken and studious. During their playing days, Parling took over Borthwick's role as the strategic mind behind England's lineout. It's likely they could discuss plays, patterns, and calls long into the night, long after others have retired for the evening. However, Parling's role with Australia extends beyond that. He has lived in Australia for nearly seven years, initially moving to play for, and later coach, the Melbourne Rebels. His friends note he's acquired a slight Australian accent. He briefly worked with the Wallabies under Dave Rennie before Eddie Jones' tumultuous seven-month tenure as head coach in 2023. Schmidt rehired Parling this year to assist in rebuilding the national team ahead of next year's British & Irish Lions tour and their home World Cup in 2025.
'When you're deeply invested in something, it feels like the most important thing in the world,' Parling says. 'Next year's Lions tour and the home World Cup are significant undertakings for our country. We must do our best to ensure we present our strongest team and remain competitive to win matches.'
Three factors work in their favor. First is Schmidt himself. Second, unlike Jones, Schmidt enjoys the full support of Australia's small but passionate rugby community. 'Everywhere we go, there's goodwill from people.' Lastly, even in their current state, Australia boasts many talented players. 'There are some great athletes and players in Australia. Generally, I feel the population is more athletic. I'm not sure if it's due to their outdoor lifestyle. Our challenge as coaches is to bring them all together. It's exciting and a great challenge, though sometimes difficult. I believe we have some excellent players.'
The latest addition is 21-year-old Joseph Sua'ali'i, who recently joined from the NRL on a three-year contract worth over £3m. 'He's looking good, I've been really impressed with him. He's an incredible athlete. I watched him in training, talking to himself to ensure he learned the calls. I couldn't be more impressed with how he's applied himself so far.' Parling played alongside Sam Burgess when England attempted to integrate him into their backline before the 2015 World Cup. He insists the two are very different. 'Joseph played union at school. He has a decent union background and is younger than Sam was. There are many factors to consider, such as having a union background, age, and position. But I'm sure he'll do well wherever he plays.'
Sua'ali'i hasn't yet played a professional union match, and Parling wouldn't speculate on whether that will change on Saturday. 'Obviously, we want to play him when we think he's ready.' If selected, Sua'ali'i would be their 17th debutant this year. 'We're still learning about some of these players,' Parling admits. 'Some are just starting to experience Test rugby.'
They will gain valuable insights from their match against England, where the Wallabies are clear underdogs, having beaten England only once in the 11 years since Parling ended his international career. He has visited Twickenham only once since then, as a spectator. This will be his first time on the field there since Australia's 33-13 victory in the 2015 pool stages. Among the 80,000 spectators, he'll be the lone Englishman hoping for a repeat of that result.
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