England aces are shocked by duo’s exit
ENGLAND players have expressed their shock and disappointment at the departure of influential assistant coaches Felix Jones and Aled Walters.
Steve Borthwick’s preparations for the autumn have been hit by the loss of two highly-rated members of his management team who helped turn South Africa into 2019 and 2023 World Cup winners.
Jones is the architect of England’s destructive blitz defensive system but news of his resignation emerged over the weekend, a fortnight after head of strength and conditioning Walters had defected to Andy Farrell’s Ireland.
Uncertainty surrounds the timing of Jones’ exit due to a 12-month notice period in his contract, but he is not expected to be in place for New Zealand’s visit to Twickenham on November 2.
Borthwick must now replace two sought-after coaches at a time when England were making progress on the pitch, while his playing squad are also coming to terms with the news.
“We weren’t expecting it. Nobody really saw it coming. It was a bit of a shock. It was bit of an odd timing,” Northampton full-back George Furbank said.
“They will be a loss. I loved working with Felix especially. He was a very good coach so he’ll definitely be missed. But I’m sure the people Steve will bring in will do a good job.”
Tommy Freeman echoed the opinion of Northampton teammate Furbank by admitting he was “gutted” by the development, while a third Saint in Fin Smith said the upheaval has been sudden.
“Really surprising. Definitely, definitely didn’t see it coming. It’s going to be a real shame with those two guys not being around,” Smith said.