England may have announced their fixtures and a new autumn sponsor for 2016 but uncertainty still swirls around Twickenham on any number of fronts. Visa issues have meant Eddie Jones will not now physically report for duty before Friday, delaying the process of finalising the rest of his coaching team, while the Rugby Football Union is still wrestling with the fallout from a premature World Cup exit.
The RFU continues to have Stuart Lancaster’s three assistant coaches in its employ but the prospect of Steve Borthwick assuming a role on Jones’s staff is increasingly a matter of when rather than if. While Jones is understood to be contemplating bringing further members of his Japan backroom team with him, it will also be no huge surprise if the Saracens defence coach, Paul Gustard, ultimately features in some capacity.
It is certainly likely Borthwick will be involved during the Six Nations, even if the former England captain returns to assist Bristol’s end-of-season push towards promotion to the Premiership. Until Jones speaks face to face with a number of individuals, however, players and supporters can only speculate about the precise make-up of new England when they line up against Scotland in their opening Six Nations fixture at Murrayfield on 6 February.
That lack of clarity extends to Chris Robshaw’s captaincy and one of the bookmakers’ potential candidates, Mike Brown, is among those keenly awaiting Jones’s arrival. “None of us know if we’re going to be involved so we’ve just got to wait,” he said. “We don’t know what Eddie is looking for … it would be great to speak to him at some point. It’s always good to know where you stand with coaches, especially when they first start out. For me it’s always back to zero after any tournament or series anyway. The shirt isn’t given to you. You have to earn the right.”
Whether he plays or not, the 30-year-old full-back said England will not lack for motivation in 2016 after bowing out of the World Cup in the pool stages. Their programme will be a busy one, including a capped pre-tour May international against Wales at Twickenham, a three-Test trip to Australia and autumn Tests against South Africa, Fiji, Argentina and Australia, now known as the Old Mutual Wealth Series. If five Tests against the Wallabies in just over 13 months is set to test Jones’s patriotic loyalties, Brown is itching to get stuck in again.
“I honestly believe we can beat the best teams in the world on our day, even though we got knocked out of the World Cup,” said the Harlequins man. “We also owe Australia one after they did a job on us last time.”
He is also adamant that England need to win the Six Nations sooner rather than later, regardless of who is in charge. “We can’t continue being second,” Brown said. “I’m not a player who settles for losing … we’re England, we want to win. We expect to win and we expect that of each other. That’s not being arrogant. It’s just the way we are.”
“It will take a little bit of time [with a new coach] but whoever’s involved won’t be using that as an excuse. We’ve got some amazingly skilful guys but we’ve also got the forward base if we want to tighten it up. Whichever way Eddie takes us, we’ve got players who can adapt to any style.”
One England staff member who will not be involved, however, is the kitman Dave Tennison, who has been relieved of his duties after it was revealed he had been passing on unsolicited share tips to the World Cup squad.
For this latest development to emerge on the very day the RFU signed a four-year deal with a wealth management firm is somewhat ironic but Tennison is understood to be appealing and retains the players’ support. “It’s a shame to see him go. He’s a great guy to have around,” Brown said. “He worked massively hard and was proud to represent England in his role. I thoroughly enjoyed working with him. You never want to see anyone lose their job.”
