RWC winner piles pressure on Borthwick after Shaun Edwards 'personal conversation' bombshell

England World Cup winner Mike Tindall has warned that Steve Borthwick has put a “bullseye” on himself after Shaun Edwards revealed the England head coach turned down the opportunity to welcome the seven-time Six Nations winner into his coaching set-up.

Edwards recently disclosed on the BBC’s Rugby Union Weekly podcast that he had spoken to Borthwick about the possibility of working with England, only for the head coach to decide against adding him to his set-up.

It is the latest chapter in a relationship that has never quite materialised despite Edwards arguably being the coach England supporters have most wanted to see involved with the national team over the past two decades.

It appeared that opportunity may finally have arrived this year when Edwards left his role overseeing France’s defence during the summer and subsequently joined the Red Roses on a consultancy basis for the remainder of the WXV Global Series.

Instead, the 60-year-old joined Argentina’s coaching staff last month in a deal that will take him through to the end of the 2027 World Cup.

England, meanwhile, currently have Richard Wigglesworth in charge of their defence, with Byron McGuigan joining the staff on a full-time basis after previously working with the national team during shorter stints. Joe El-Abd had previously overseen England’s defence but is now responsible for the forwards and is due to leave Borthwick’s coaching team after next year’s World Cup.

The defensive set-up came under scrutiny during this year’s Six Nations, when England conceded more points than in any previous Championship campaign.

Against that backdrop, Edwards’ revelation that he had been willing to take virtually any role with England prompted Tindall to question why Borthwick had not found a way to use one of the most decorated defence coaches of his generation.

“I had a good chat with Steve over the phone and he was very, very honest with me and I thanked him for that,” Edwards said.

“Due credit to him, he was honest, he said he was happy with his staff and the way that things had been going and I respected him for that.

“I like straight talking. I’m sure they’ve got a really good defence coach and I wish them well.

“It was a personal conversation, so I don’t think it would be fair on Steve for me to repeat. If it came to England, if I was assistant kit man, I’d be there ready for work.

“I said to Steve ‘you can make me assistant kit man and I’ll be there, I’ll be ready for work.’ But Steve made his decision and I thanked him for his honesty, to be honest. And I don’t think it’s right for me to discuss what was said between me and Steve.”

Responding to those comments on The Good, The Bad & The Rugby podcast, Tindall argued that Edwards’ availability presented England with an opportunity they should have taken.

“I don’t think my opinion has changed from the past,” he said. “I think if you have the opportunity to snap up Shaun Edwards, and some guys, you take it.

“And that was mainly when we first said that and he went in with the Red Roses, it was the fact that you probably have the best defensive coach of a generation that’s available and, in terms of the public and press, it wins for you. It’s an easy win, so take it.

“I just think it has been talked about for so many years about trying to get him, and he’s available. Obviously, it’s not helpful that he’s said he’d be there as kit man, so offer him kit man.

“I think it would be a better thing, and you make it work in whatever way. If you bring him in just for the autumn and go ‘ok, let’s see how it works in the autumn.’ You bring him in, and he’s just a consultant.

“I don’t think you look at a coach of that quality and let him just wander off. If it doesn’t go well this autumn, all this stuff comes back up.

“That’s why I said it was an easy win just to use his help in whatever way you can. Whereas now you’ve said ‘no,’ you really have put a bullseye on yourself, and I just don’t think you needed to do that.”