Steve Borthwick has finalised his coaching team for England’s World Cup campaign by recruiting Tom Harrison, the scrum coach for Leicester Tigers, and Tony Roques, the coach of Great Britain Sevens, according to The Telegraph.
Harrison replaces Richard Cockerill, who is now bound for Montpellier, and completes the transplant of the entire coaching team that helped Tigers win the Premiership title last season to the national set-up.
Harrison, who played professional rugby in England and France, including an appearance for Barbarians FC, began his coaching career in 2015 after working in community coaching roles with Bristol Bears and Bath Rugby. In 2016, he became Programme Lead and Men’s Rugby Head Coach at Loughborough College.
A year later, he joined Leicester Tigers as part of the academy coaching team and AASE Programme Manager with the club’s partner Brooksby Melton College.
He helped lead the Tigers to three successive Under-18 League titles before achieving Premiership success in the 21/22 campaign.
Ahead of the 20/21 season, he joined Steve Borthwick’s coaching team with Leicester and stepped up into the role after three years as part of the Leicester Tigers academy and junior program.
Meanwhile, Roques is a former rugby union player who played at flanker for the Cornish All Blacks and the England national rugby sevens team.
Head of Rugby for a year at The Leys School in Cambridge. He then became assistant coach for the England Sevens team until 2018. From 2018 he has been the coach for the USA Rugby Sevens team.
England have three options to replace Steve Borthwick in case of World Cup disaster
Steve Borthwick has had to face tough questions already during his short reign as England’s preparation for the 2023 Rugby World Cup continues.
A troubling run of form leading up to the World Cup could spell the end if the them en in white don’t come up with the goods at the tournament proper.
RUCK takes you through three coaches who could be sought out if Borthwick is given his marching orders after leading the nation to France…
Rob Baxter
Rob Baxter, who guided the Devon-based club from the Championship to European champions in 10 years has done this largely with a core of players that have come through the academy at Exeter.
With this season’s club performance not at the level of previous years, it may be time for him to move on and into the Test game in the near futuree.
Although Baxter joined the England coaching team for the summer tour to Argentina and Uruguay in March 2013, he has no experience outside of Exeter. “I would be happy to have a chat about what the role is, how they see it working and what their plans and ambitions are,” Baxter said of the England job back in December.
“Unless you know what it is, it’s hard to say yes or no to anything. At the same time, I’m not looking for another job! I’m very happy here,” he added.
