In a bold move to shake up their coaching roster ahead of the Autumn Nations Series, England Rugby has roped in Lee Blackett, the tactical maestro behind Bath's recent successes, into Steve Borthwick's coaching ensemble. The reshuffle sees Richard Wigglesworth transition to defence, paving the way for Blackett's full-time commitment after his impactful stint during the summer tour in the Americas.
Blackett, who will be leaving his current role at Bath by the end of September, expressed his enthusiasm about his new role in the national team.
"It's a huge honour to join the England coaching team. The current England squad is full of talent and enthusiasm, with quality and depth from 1 to 15. I can't wait to work with these players, and to see what we can achieve,"
said Blackett. He also acknowledged his gratitude towards Bath for allowing him the opportunity to escalate to the international level.Steve Borthwick, the head coach, mirrored the sentiments of excitement and strategic foresight with the new appointments.
"I am pleased to announce these changes, which I believe will leave us even better placed to continue our development. Lee brings great experience and has, for several years, been widely regarded as one of the country's top attack coaches. His teams play fast, exciting rugby that consistently look to score tries,"
Borthwick commented.With Blackett officially on board and Wigglesworth shifting his focus to defense, the coaching team is looking robust. Borthwick added that this evolution in coaching roles is a testament to their dynamic approach, aiming to build on the strong results of the past year and gear up for challenging fixtures ahead, including a highly anticipated Test against Australia on November 1st.
The England men’s coaching team now comprises Steve Borthwick as head coach, Richard Wigglesworth and Lee Blackett as senior assistant coaches, along with Kevin Sinfield, Tom Harrison, Joe El-Abd, and Andrew Strawbridge filling in various assistant roles. This revamped team is set to steer England through a series that also features matches against Fiji, New Zealand, and Argentina, marking a crucial phase in their international rugby calendar.