Joe El-Abd has pledged to bring evolution rather than revolution following his appointment as England's new defence coach, succeeding Felix Jones. However, he made it clear that the team will not resort to the 'B-word' strategy under his guidance.
Steve Borthwick turned to El-Abd, a long-time acquaintance, after a tumultuous summer that saw the departures of Jones, Aled Walters, and Tom Tombleson from the backroom staff. El-Abd emphasized the values of 'loyalty' and 'commitment' during his initial mini-training camp this week. He also confirmed that he has no plans to discard Jones's blitz defence strategy, which has shown promising results in recent matches.
Although Jones remains on the England payroll and is working remotely, El-Abd acknowledged the importance of stability. He cited Sir Alex Ferguson's approach of regularly refreshing his assistant coaches as an example of how change can be beneficial. El-Abd, who will continue his role as Oyonnax's director of rugby until the end of the season, revealed that Borthwick felt it necessary to address the squad about their relationship, highlighting the head coach's current need for support.
The recent resignations and departures have left a void, compounded by Premiership clubs blocking Borthwick's attempt to recruit Phil Morrow for the strength and conditioning department. The new Professional Game Partnership has made this role even more critical. Additionally, the fact that neither El-Abd nor Kevin Sinfield are full-time coaching staff members adds to the challenges.
El-Abd stressed the importance of coaching stability and cohesion, using Alex Ferguson as an example. He believes that maintaining a strong identity, like Manchester United's, is crucial. He aims to reinforce the positive aspects of England's rugby DNA, which includes a tough forward unit and aggressive defence tactics.
El-Abd will be with England full-time during the November Test window and will join the squad for a training camp in Girona later this month before returning to Oyonnax ahead of the Six Nations. He expressed confidence in his ability to manage multiple roles effectively.
In a positive development for England, Tom Curry is deemed fit to play for Sale against Newcastle on Friday. Despite missing the current training camp due to a head injury, Curry and his brother Ben are available for selection.
