Steve Borthwick ‘disappointed and surprised’ by coaching departures as he sets out plan for future

Sign up to our free sport newsletter for all the latest news on everything from cycling to boxing Sign up to our free sport email for all the latest news Sign up to our free sport email for all the latest news SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy England head coach Steve Borthwick has admitted he was “disappointed” by the shock departures of Aled Walters and Felix Jones from his coaching staff this summer but insisted he had full faith in his new group of assistants. With skills coach Kevin Sinfield also reducing his role and El-Abd combining his duties with coaching Oyonnax in France, it leaves only attack coach Richard Wigglesworth, scrum coach Tom Harrison and coaching advisor Andrew Strawbridge as full-time assistants under Borthwick’s employ. open image in gallery England defence coach Felix Jones is working a 12-month notice period “He made that decision, a very personal decision and I wished him well with it – not against us, clearly! To be able to do that so quickly, ahead of this Autumn Nations Series, so that we are able to move on with Joe in place already coaching the players – it feels like we are moving forward.” Dan Tobin, recruited from Gloucester to replace Walters’s deputy Tom Tombleson, is expected to oversee strength and conditioning matters during the autumn, though Borthwick still hopes to bring Morrow in.