Anthony Seibold is reportedly set to quit as an England assistant
Eddie Jones is braced for another backroom staff reshuffle less than a year out from the World Cup following reports in Australia that England defence coach Anthony Seibold is set to be named as the new Manly Sea Eagles head coach. It was only last year when the Australian was recruited to fill the vacancy caused by the departure of John Mitchell to Wasps, but it’s now said that the prospect of coaching at the 2023 World Cup will not be enough to convince Seibold to delay his return to the NRL.
Having attended the three-day England training camp in London at the start of last week, Seibold has since been back in Australia where it was announced on Thursday that Manly had sacked head coach Des Hasler.
This was followed by club owner Scott Penn soon discussing the merits of Seibold in an interview on Fox Sports. “Anthony has been at the club before, he has demonstrated phenomenal intellect, he is a great tactician, he is really good with the players and he has shown he has got credentials as a head coach.
“We are still working through our pathway whether that is assistant to start or the full process but right now we have identified him as someone we are very interested in and someone who certainly had a few false starts himself but he is very capable and would do a tremendous job.”
NRL was where Seibold learned his trade, coaching at the Broncos and the Rabbitohs before Jones anointed him as the England assistant successor to Mitchell. England have since won seven of their eleven Test matches, but their defence wasn’t as watertight as they wanted.
Just one try was conceded in the last November’s three-game Autumn Nations Series, a late score from Springboks winger Makazole Mapimpi, but they have since seen 18 tries scored against the Seibold defence, eleven in the disappointing Guinness Six Nations and another seven in the three-match series win over Australia in July.
Seibold is due to fly to London this weekend with England set to start their upcoming four-game series versus Argentina on November 6 followed by further Twickenham games against Japan, New Zealand and South Africa. Ex-England No8 Nick Easter is a potential quick replacement if Seibold does exit as he is currently out of a coaching job following the collapse of Worcester.
It was eleven months ago, in his first media interview after taking on his role with England, that Seibold spoke about the impression Owen Farrell made on him during a 2018 visit to Saracens. “I did a tour here that was the end of the season when I was coaching South Sydney Rabbitohs so I visited Eddie at Pennyhill Park, I visited Wales, I spoke to the regional coaches there. I spent some time with Gregor (Townsend) up in Scotland and also had time at Saracens.
“I was really impressed with what I saw there. Alex Sanderson, the (current) Sale coach, was the defence coach there, so I got to listen to him in the meetings and the one thing I walked away with was the leadership and the way that Owen spoke in meetings really resonated with me.
“I fall back to some of the key senior players I have coached over my time – I just thought the way he spoke was very clear with regards to what he wanted and he certainly supported what the coaches wanted there.”
Comments on RugbyPass
The value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
3 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
10 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
37 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
10 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
37 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
3 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
37 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
37 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
37 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
37 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
37 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to comments