New details have emerged about why Springbok assistant coach Felix Jones walked away from his role as England defence coach after less than a year.
Jones will come up against his former employers when the Boks host England in the Nations Championship opener at Ellis Park on Saturday, having returned to Rassie Erasmus’ coaching team following his departure from the RFU.
According to The Telegraph, Jones became frustrated by England’s coaching environment under head coach Steve Borthwick and felt he was unable to contribute beyond his role as defence coach.
“Steve was very inflexible and didn’t really like people challenging him,” a source told the UK newspaper. “It became, ‘You are in charge of defence. Stick to your lane.’
“Felix’s argument is that defence does not operate in a silo. It has to be connected to the set-piece, it has to be connected to your kicking game and your attacking game.”
Jones reportedly also found himself unable to work with certain members of England’s squad.
A source told The Telegraph he was “prevented from giving input to certain players” and informed: “You can’t talk to these players because they are not part of your group.”
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The former Ireland international also became disillusioned with what he perceived as a lack of ambition within the England set-up.
“He was absolutely gutted because he thought there was a chance of winning the series,” a fellow coach recalled, referring to England’s 2024 tour of New Zealand.
“He felt the management were saying, ‘Isn’t it great that we were in with a shout.’
“The Boks are ruthless about winning. He has come from that environment and couldn’t understand why that is not part of the DNA.”
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Photo: Steve Haag/Gallo Images
The post Why Bok coach ditched England appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
New details have emerged about why Springbok assistant coach Felix Jones walked away from his role as England defence coach after less than a year.
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