LONG READ Mick Cleary: 'England are running through coaches like the Tory Party used to do Prime Ministers'

England are running through coaches like the Tory Party used to do Prime Ministers, a hello-goodbye style that eventually cost the government dear in the political arena. At a time when the RFU is trying to engender oodles of goodwill as it changes the name of its own arena (The Stadium Formerly Known As Twickenham) there ought to be grave concern at these latest developments which has seen highly-regarded operators, Aled Walters and Felix Jones opting to hand back their England tracksuits and head through the exit door. Walters has returned to Ireland while Jones’ next port of call remains unclear. At least he lasted a little longer in office than Liz Truss.

Even so, his departure, allied to that of his one-time mucker with the Springboks (and fellow Ireland resident) is a real shock with potentially far-reaching consequence for Steve Borthwick who seemed to have got things just where he wanted them to be as England braced for a blockbuster autumn fixture list. The Walters and Jones double-act on fitness and defence had had a major impact on England’s return upturn in fortunes, a modest uptick if truth be told but significant nonetheless.

A good coach is never a one-trick pony. Fitness is about far more then mere strength and conditioning drills. It is about instilling confidence and feel-good vibes, about enjoyment and belief and purpose and conviction that anything is possible. It is about heart and soul as much as it is about muscle and bone. The same is true of defence (albeit Jones’s status had changed to effectively that of second-in-command). As England have shown of late as Jones’ hyper-aggressive blitz strategy bedded in, a good defence is about trust and teamwork and timing and character and not merely about choregraphed tackling. Once you get that buy-in anything is possible, as the Springboks have shown. By the way, it is about time Rassie Erasmus, that bolshie, in-your-face, occasionally crass and provocative but always box-office, was given more credit for his man management skills. His players love him and play as if they do, so too his coaches as Walters and Felix Jones illustrated from their time working with him.

Something is out-of-kilter with England. However, it doesn’t appear to be an Eddie Jones-type insurrection, when coaches get fed up with the constant demands put upon them, brow-beaten by 5am emails and hectoring follow-ups.

Something is out-of-kilter in that regard with England. However, it doesn’t appear to be an Eddie Jones-type insurrection, when coaches get fed up with the constant demands put upon them, brow-beaten by 5am emails and hectoring follow-ups. England are housed in the luxury surrounds of Pennyhill Park hotel complex in Bagshot. Such was the turnover of staff under Eddie Jones there was probably need for a separate check-in reception to handle the constant outs-and-ins.

Borthwick is not at that level yet. But this is still a serious moment in his tenure. England’s form going in to last year’s World Cup had been rotten before they got their act together (aided by a sympathetic draw) during the tournament itself only to have a numbing opening to their 2024 Six Nations campaign with that stultifying defeat at Murrayfield. But then, hey presto, the skies cleared, the Jones up-and-at-‘em approach took hold and new-brand England were up and running.

Getting a team to gel is not a painting-by-numbers gig. It is part science, and a lot of art. There are component pieces such as giving players such as Henry Slade his head as a lead-figure in defence, using his experience of Exeter Chiefs’ similar style to co-ordinate England’s system. It was a joy to see how well his club teammate, wing Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, took to test rugby, an immersion helped by his own familiarity with the blitz. George Furbank at the rear, a potent attacker in his own right but also a great side-to-side scrambler.

What style does Borthwick opt for now? A commitment to a blitz defence no matter what or finding a defence coach and playing to his particular strengths? Chicken-and-egg conundrum.

These are some of the parts of the jigsaw. But there also needs to be a belief that it can work, a need for the players to immerse themselves fully according to the Jones gospel. Baptism by blitz. If it were a simple matter of players rushing up to make tackles and close down space then every team in the world would do it. They don’t. And for good reason. It is high-risk, high-reward. Defence becomes offense as the Americans might put it. Factor in too that such a wham-bam style requires a special kind of fitness, an ability to repeat high-intensity sets of action. Lungs scorched, legs lactic yet you’ve got to be able to get back in position or your strategy is a busted flush. Cue the Walters-Jones double-act.

The players have been faithful to their side of the deal. They took time to settle but there is little doubt that their approach rattled the All Blacks. And it would have only become more connected and more impactful. What style does Borthwick opt for now? Or does he change? Which comes first – a commitment to a blitz defence no matter what or finding a defence coach and playing to his particular strengths? Chicken-and-egg conundrum. If there is a change of defensive style does that inevitably lead to a change in players? Questions, questions.

A good management has to be as much of a functioning unit as the team itself. Look at the All Blacks high-achieving era of 15 years ago, a blend of Graham Henry, Steve Hansen and Wayne Smith – Intellectual Property of the highest order as in the Clive Woodward, Andy Robinson, Brian Ashton and Phil Larder reign. Ian McGeechan and Jim Telfer. Warren Gatland and Shaun Edwards. It has never been a one-man job even if Henry, Woodward, McGeechan and Gatland would have been viewed as the front-men.

England’s players will have been sideswiped by Jones leaving. Jamie George had extolled the virtues of the set-up and the blitz ‘BazBall’ style.

Borthwick has to sort out a proper and permanent role for Kevin Sinfield who was leaving but now has a rather wishy-washy, non-specific portfolio tag against his name. That too needs addressing. And just as the attack was beginning to show some teeth – not quite a set of full-bared gnashers but with enough bite to cause an indent in opposition ranks – that too has been stymied. Felix Jones would have wanted to play a full part in developing that part of England’s game. That boat has now sailed. England have been wasteful and inattentive in letting that happen.

England’s players will have been sideswiped by Jones leaving. Jamie George had extolled the virtues of the set-up and the blitz ‘BazBall’ style. International players realise that they have to adapt to ever-changing sets of circumstances, to expect the unexpected. They would have had to be Nostradamus to have seen this one coming.