DURBAN - After the RFU gave a curt yet positive response to the ongoing questions about their support for under pressure coach, Eddie Jones, his assistant coaches, including Steve Borthwick, have been much more charitable with their backing of the Australian.
Borthwick, capped 57 times by England, is the current England forwards coach who is a favourite of Jones’s, having assisted him when he was Japan’s head coach. With a lot of pressure on the head coach’s shoulders, the assistant was quizzed about the support he is getting behind the scenes.
Borthwick said he is seeing consistency in Jones, while giving his backing to the man in charge. “I have worked for Eddie for a long time now. I see consistency,” said Borthwick. “He’s an excellent coach, we all know that, and what this England team has done over the last couple of years with the work he has led has been tremendous.
“I see someone who is continuing to work to help this team get better, as we all are. He is leading this squad tremendously well and we believe in him and know we will turn this around and get the results we want.”
England are in dire need of a change of fortunes, having lost the series to South Africa with a game to spare. The final Test in Cape Town on Saturday is their last opportunity before November to earn back some respectability. Borthwick adds that they do believe they can turn things around and have a set direction.
“As coaches, we always have robust conversations because that is the nature of coaching,” Borthwick added. “We discuss the direction we want and get on with delivering it as a coaching team, and that is with Eddie Jones as our head coach. We believe that we will turn this around and get the results we want.”