- The England head coach will be on a tour of the Americas while the Lions play
- Steve Borthwick previously worked as an assistant on the 2017 Lions tour
- He had been tipped to join Andy Farrell as a forwards coach next year
Steve Borthwick will be in charge of England’s prospective Americas tour next summer, after ruling himself out of contention for a role in the Lions management team.
The 44-year-old is widely regarded as one of the leading forwards coaches in world rugby and was acclaimed for his impact during the tour of New Zealand in 2017, when the Lions fought back to earn a respectable 1-1 series draw against the All Blacks.
Andy Farrell worked with him on that crusade and is now leading the next one – to Australia in 2025 – but he will not have the option to call upon the expertise of his former Saracens and Red Rose team-mate.
It is understood that Borthwick has indicated he would not accept an invitation to join the British and Irish venture Down Under, as he is determined to prioritise the development of his young and promising England team.
With several key players away on Lions duty, the Cumbrian will seek to bring through a new contingent during a tour which could feature a Test in the USA and two in Argentina – as first revealed by Mail Sport.
Steve Borthwick will be in charge of England’s prospective Americas tour next summer
The England head coach has ruled himself out of the possibility of joining the Lions tour
Borthwick is keen to focus on the development of his young and promising England team
However, England may yet have some representation among the Lions coaching group. Borthwick and the RFU are believed to be supportive of any approach for one of the assistants to go to Australia.
That leaves the door open for Richard Wigglesworth, Felix Jones and Kevin Sinfield to be considered to fill attack, defence or skills and mentoring positions respectively.
Farrell will continue in his day-job as head coach of Ireland until after the autumn Test window, when he will then switch into Lions mode.
Recent tradition dictates that he will seek to name his assistants at the end of 2024 or early in the new year, to allow plenty of time for tour preparations.
In 12 months’ time, on June 28, the four-nation side will play their first match in Australia, against Western Force in Perth, at the start of a nine-match itinerary Down Under culminating in three Tests against the Wallabies. They will warm up before departure with a clash against Argentina in Dublin on June 20 next year.
A number of high-profile candidates have been name-checked already as contenders for inclusion in the management team. Farrell may turn to his Ireland assistant, Paul O’Connell, to oversee the forwards, while another Irish icon, Ronan O’Gara – head coach of La Rochelle – could be considered as a wild-card option, subject to agreeing a release from his club.
The 44-year-old (right) was hailed for his impact during the Lions tour of New Zealand in 2017
Ireland head coach Andy Farrell will lead the Lions for next year’s tour of Australia
Adam Jones has expressed interest in being scrum coach and Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend will again be a front-runner to co-ordinate the attack. His defence coach, Welshman Steve Tandy, is another who could be asked to fill the same role he filled in 2021, when the Lions lost the hollow, Covid-era series against South Africa 2-1.
However, Shaun Edwards could join forces with his long-time Wigan team-mate and serve as defence guru, if France allowed him to do so.
