Steve Borthwick fends off bid to lure England coach overseas

England coach Steve Borthwick has avoided another coaching reshuffle after winning his battle with Pro D2 outfit Brive over his former university housemate, forwards coach Joe El-Abd.

Brive, who are sixth in the Pro D2 table and 23 points behind league leaders Vannes, are looking for a new head coach as sporting director Pierre-Henry Broncan is moving to the Georgian national team at the end of the season.

Broncan took over coaching at the Stade Amédée-Domenech when David Darricarrère was dismissed earlier in the season, and the club wanted El-Abd to take over the reins from the start of next season.

But despite him initially appearing to be keen, according to reports in France, getting him out of his England contract, which runs until after the 2027 World Cup in Australia, proved a headache.

The former Bristol flanker, 45, moved to France in 2009 after signing for Toulon and joined Borthwick’s coaching staff in September 2024, replacing Felix Jones as defence coach, who resigned after only seven months in the role.

El-Abd only joined England from Oyonnax, whom he helped to win the Pro D2 title in 2023, on a full-time basis last summer after balancing two jobs for ten months, but he was said to be unhappy with his responsibilities.

He was put in charge of the forwards when Lee Blackett became attack coach in September, with Richard Wigglesworth switching to defence before England’s unbeaten Autumn Nations Series campaign.

Brive have now decided to look elsewhere after El-Abd saved the RFU from the trouble of finding a replacement, having decided he will see out the rest of his Twickenham contract.

Midi Olympique are reporting that they might now consider Bayonne’s Grégory Patat, who, despite having a contract until summer 2028, is under pressure following a home defeat against Castres.

And although an imminent dismissal is not likely, the general feeling is that he might be tempted away from the Basque club this summer.