Steve Borthwick has maintained that he has no secrets about his England setup and believes his players are encouraged to voice their opinions, following claims from Danny Care that Eddie Jones’s regime was akin to “living in a dictatorship”. Borthwick, who served over four years as Jones’s assistant, attempted to differentiate his environment from that of the Australian’s after Care’s description of a toxic culture raised significant concerns about the Rugby Football Union’s safeguarding procedures. World Cup-winning coach Sir Clive Woodward expressed astonishment that Jones’s contract was renewed by the RFU.
During the summer, the head of strength and conditioning, Aled Walters, and the defence coach, Felix Jones, resigned within days of each other, reminiscent of the high staff turnover under Jones. Care, in his autobiography, stated that Jones’s staff “ended up as shells of their former selves” due to the treatment they endured. Several players have indirectly criticized the atmosphere created by Jones, noting how they feel more at ease expressing themselves under Borthwick’s leadership. The head coach remained reserved about Care’s comments but was resolute that his players are not afraid to challenge him.
“I’m striving to create an environment that suits this group,” said Borthwick, who departed Jones’s setup in 2020 and was appointed England head coach in December 2022. “I left England early in 2020 and now, in 2024, my focus is entirely on this team and the environment I aim to foster.” He added, “You can inquire about the environment with players or assistant coaches. I engage with players daily, exchanging ideas, and these discussions shape, adapt, and improve our approach.”
In this campaign, there has been a notable improvement in players’ participation in team meetings, sharing their views. This reflects the growth of the squad. Borthwick has asked senior players to exemplify desired behaviors, and they have been supportive of younger players. Care wrote, “everyone was bloody terrified of [Jones]” and later expressed regret for not speaking up sooner. “Remember the feeling when someone was bullied at school and you were just glad it wasn’t you?” he wrote. “That was the vibe.”
The RFU stated that no formal complaints about Jones were filed, and Borthwick detailed his close monitoring by the union’s chief executive, Bill Sweeney, and the director of rugby, Conor O’Shea. “Bill and I communicate weekly, either in person or by phone,” Borthwick said. “Bill was in camp last week and will be again at the end of this week. Conor was here yesterday, spending half a day in camp.”
England flanker Tom Curry, who debuted under Jones at 18, said he had no issues with the Australian’s methods but acknowledged Borthwick’s different approach. “[Danny has] published a book, and I can only offer my perspective,” Curry said. “Personally, I was fine. I respected Eddie. He introduced me to the team when I was 18. He pushed me hard, but I always understood his intentions and believed he aimed to bring out the best in me. Steve excels at understanding the balance between downtime and intense training.”
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