The RFU’s negotiations with Leicester Tigers over the release of head coach Steve Borthwick to replace Eddie Jones as England boss have stalled.
Though Eddie Jones has taken England to three Six Nations titles, 2022 has been an underwhelming year for the former Australia and Japan coach with just five wins from 13 matches.
According to Sky Sports, the Premiership club are reportedly seeking £500,000 in compensation, while the RFU is currently offering £200,000.
Should Borthwick be appointed it would come just nine months out from the 2023 World Cup in France, four years after England finished runners-up to South Africa in Japan.
There had been speculation that Owen Farrell could be a major casualty of the new regime, but the former England captain is clearly a huge fan.
When the Saracens fly-half, then 21, had come under fire for his poor form back in 2012, he outperformed the usually imperious Nick Evans, notching six penalties from six attempts to help Sarries overcome Quins.
Borthwick, who was Sarries captain during the game, told The Rugby Paper: “Owen Farrell is one of the toughest men I know. He’s a fierce competitor and as strong as they come in terms of mental resolve.
“People will say what they want to say but I feel privileged to take the field with this guy.
“He’s a phenomenal leader and the way he handled the game against Harlequins was tactically brilliant. It was just another measure of the bloke.”
England make approach for FOUR Leicester Tigers coaches
The RFU are set to confirm their new England coaching team by the end of the week after they opened negotiations with Leicester Tigers for FOUR of their coaches.
#1. Head coach: Steve Borthwick
According to The Telegraph, Leicester have already confirmed privately that they do not intend to stand in Borthwick’s way.
The initial plan had been for Borthwick to rejoin Eddie Jones in May as an assistant for the 2023 Rugby World Cup before taking over full-time next October.
Borthwick was appointed Head Coach at Leicester Tigers in February 2020 after five seasons as Forwards Coach with England and arrived at Mattioli Woods Welford Road during the lockdown period in July that year.
He began his coaching career in 2012, while still playing at Saracens, as coach of the club’s under-18 squad, before being recruited by Eddie Jones to join Japan as an assistant coach.
After retiring as a player in 2013/2014, he remained with the Japan squad up to the 2015 Rugby World Cup which included victories over Samoa and the USA as well as the history-making, last-gasp victory over South Africa in Brighton.
After that World Cup, it was announced that Borthwick would join Bristol Rugby as the forwards coach of the Championship club for the 2015/16 season.
In December 2015, following the appointment of Jones as England head coach, it was announced that he would become the forwards coach for the national team.
He began his rugby career at Preston Grasshoppers before joining Bath in 1998 and went on to make more than 240 appearances in a decade there.
Borthwick made his Test debut in 2001, lining up at lock alongside Martin Jonson against France at Twickenham, and went on to win 57 caps, including two years as captain from 2008 until his final Test against Scotland in the 2010 Six Nations.
In 2008, after 10 seasons at Bath, he joined Saracens and made more than 140 appearances there in six seasons, winning a Premiership title in 2011.
Alongside his rugby career, Steve completed an Economics and Politics BSc at the University of Bath and MSc Management at the University of Hertfordshire.