Steve Borthwick hires his old housemate as England’s new defence coach ahead of autumn internationals after Felix Jones’ shock departure
- El-Abd is a close friend of Borthwick, who praised the coach’s appointment
- Jones shocked the RFU earlier this year when he announced he was leaving
- Oyonnax boss El-Abd will combine his duties with his work in France for the time being
England have confirmed Joe El-Abd as their new defensive guru, but he will have to juggle his new role with his current job at French side Oyonnax for the rest of the season before committing full-time to the RFU.
El-Abd, a close friend and former university housemate of national coach Steve Borthwick, will be present for the four tests in England in November.
He is the long-term replacement for Felix Jones, who shocked the RFU earlier this summer when he announced he was leaving the England squad.
Jones, a two-time World Cup winner with South Africa, has yet to officially leave as he continues to serve his 12-month notice period.
It is understood that while Jones still works in the background as an assistant coach, he does so from a distance and focuses on tactical analysis and development.
England have confirmed Joe El-Abd as their new defense ahead of their autumn matches
Steve Borthwick has appointed his good friend and former university roommate to join his staff
Jones will not feature for England’s autumn campaign when El-Abd takes over. El-Abd will continue with the blitz defense system that Jones and Borthwick introduced.
“I feel incredibly honored to be part of the England coaching team and can’t wait to get started,” said El-Abd.
“I’m excited about the direction this England team is going and where they want to go under Steve’s leadership. His enthusiasm is contagious and his vision for this team is clear.
‘I would like to thank everyone at Oyonnax, especially Dougal Bendjaballah, for understanding my deep desire to coach the England national team.’
Borthwick and El-Abd are good friends and played together in Bath.
El-Abd, 44, impressed while coaching in France, winning the TOP14 with Castres before joining Oyonnax.
Bendjaballah, the president of Oyonnax, had insisted that his team would not let El-Abd leave, but they have now done so after reaching an agreement with the RFU for his release.
Part of that deal means El-Abd will stop his work at Oyonnax for the remainder of the 2024/2025 campaign, in addition to his presence with England in the autumn and for the 2025 Six Nations.
“I’m pleased to be able to bring in someone with Joe’s expertise,” said Borthwick. “His knowledge, passion for the game and proven experience in developing high-performing teams will be key to the continued development of the squad.
“Joe embodies the qualities we value and I am confident he will contribute to our environment and quickly deliver continued improvements to our game.”
Felix Jones shocked the RFU earlier this summer when he announced he was leaving
The Borthwick team will play against New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Japan in November
England will face New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Japan on four consecutive November weekends this autumn after a summer of turmoil.
Oyonnax said it was a “great source of pride” to see El-Abd join the country where he was born and “one of the best nations in the world.”
Borthwick’s next task after El-Abd signed up is to secure a replacement for highly regarded strength and conditioning head Aled Walters, who left the RFU to join Ireland.