'No thanks' - Steve Borthwick rejects opportunity to leave England head coach role

Borthwick, who aims to focus on revamping England's performance, will not participate in the series against Joe Schmidt’s Wallabies.

Having toured with the Lions in 2017 to New Zealand as the forwards coach, Borthwick's expertise in lineout tactics remains highly sought after. His decision leaves an opening for Farrell to potentially appoint an Irish assistant, such as former Lions captain Paul O’Connell, to develop a formidable pack for the tour.

Meanwhile, former Wales prop Adam Jones has expressed interest in becoming the Lions' scrum coach. Jones, who has played a crucial role in guiding Harlequins to the Champions Cup semifinals, shared his eagerness on the Times' Ruck Podcast.

"If Faz wanted to take me, I'd bite his hand off. 100 percent, I think I could do a job as a scrum coach for the Lions," Jones said. "It's a funny one with the Lions; as a scrum coach, you're not going to change a lot of technique as these are the best props from the home unions. But if that job ever came up, I'd bite their hand off. I've been twice as a player."

Farrell will continue as head coach of Ireland until after the autumn Test window, at which point he will switch to his Lions duties. Other potential coaching candidates include Scotland's head coach Gregor Townsend, who is also in contention for a role during the Australian tour.

Joining Jones and O'Connell in potential roles is former England fly-half Jonny Wilkinson, who might take on the position of specialist kicking coach.

As per Scrum Recap, these are the games slyest of hounds.

What they said: "He often overdoes the theatricality to the extent that not even the officials will give him a second look.

"Look back to the South Africa vs Scotland game a couple years back when he flung himself into the 'Beast' just to be laughed off by players and fans around him."

Our verdict: Nobody will forget that infamous telling off he got from Nigel Owens against South Africa during the 2015 Rugby World Cup. As the old saying goes, mud sticks., but it's not a reputation he deserves.

Fan comments: "Tom Daley's spot in the British Diving team is under threat by Hogg. Excellent call from Owens,"

What they said: "A great example of this was for Toulon against Saracens in the Champions Cup where he ran into 'No-Arms Magee' Owen Farrell and threw his legs up in the air to win a penalty with one of the worst dives in European history."

Our verdict: Habana is one of the best wingers of all-time, but it's a fair assessment that he occasionally was a bit dramatic with his on-field shenanigans

What they said: "Jonathan Sex'Robot, as Squidge Rugby lovingly refers to him, is a serial diving offender with notable instances against Scotland, England and Wales throughout the last few years."

Our verdict: Not convinced. The Ireland fly-half is smashed regularly and there aren't any clear examples of him diving.

What they said: "He's also a grade A diver. He's from the Habana and Hoggy school of 'throwing yourself at a big forward and hoping for the best' after he hoofs the ball."

Our verdict: He's a little s**t. Can't argue with anything that they said.

What they said: "Whether it was from kick chases, tackles that were a fraction out of time, or flailing around in rucks he shouldn't be involved in, Huget was the crème de la crème of fakers."

Our verdict: Spot on. The worst of all-time. At the same time, it's sad that his career was ended by an injury back in February.