Steve Borthwick and Kevin Sinfield had just signed off with another win when Leicester’s staff gathered for Christmas drinks.
Those present on Saturday night remembered how their club, England’s biggest, had languished at the foot of the Premiership when Borthwick arrived. They also recalled how rugby league great Sinfield joined the following season and together these two northern rocks took Tigers to Premiership glory before the Rugby Football Union came calling.
“Someone used the expression that they were exactly what Leicester needed, the necessary change,” said a Tigers insider. “That’s exactly right.
“Steve and Kev aren’t anything flash, they've got no ego, they pride themselves on not doing anything too different - anything outrageously new.
“They just come in and work bloody hard, challenge people and challenge them in the right way.”
It began on Borthwick’s very first day when he took his Tigers squad into the stands at Welford Road and told them Leicester is a working-class town and the fans expected them to work every bit as hard as they do.
“It wasn't a Braveheart speech,” said one of those present. “He talked only about what was absolutely necessary.
“Not ‘we’re Leicester tigers and we f***ing roar’ but specifically what he wanted and that we were either in or we were out.”
England now, like Leicester then, do not need to reinvent the wheel. They possess some of Europe’s finest players.
What they need after Eddie Jones’ tumultuous reign is the clarity, attention to detail and, yes, humility that is the hallmark of Borthwick and Sinfield.
With more focus on what can be achieved at the weekend rather than a year from now, this England team can start to resemble the sum of its parts rather than a whole lot less, as it has since 2020.
Don’t expect Borthwick to trumpet his intention for England to be remembered as “the greatest team that ever played rugby”, as his predecessor did. Nor for Sinfield to start shouting the odds, despite having the credentials to if he so chooses. This was him six months ago at the tail end of his first season coaching in union.
“I still find every day a challenge, like learning a new language in many ways,” he said. “I’m still very much uncomfortable and at times a little bit exposed.
“The only way to fix that is to work as hard as you can. With the support I’ve been given, from Steve in particular, I feel I’m growing and getting better.”
This time Borthwick, who captained England in 21 of his 57 Tests together, won’t need to take his players up into the Twickenham stands, where the boos rained down after Jones’ final game in charge.
Owen Farrell, Courtney Lawes and Co know all about what England expects. Give them more clarity and less circus and they will be just fine.
