Andy Farrell: charisma machine. Steve Borthwick: Stay in the mud. That’s a fairly accurate, if somewhat rough, summary of how the average rugby fan will view the respective head coaches of Ireland and England.
Although it was played out by both sides in the aftermath of a gripping game at Twickenham, the prickly half-time exchange between these two old team-mates should push the dial somewhat; at least when it comes to public perception of Borthwick.
First, the incident itself. Farrell was excited. After traveling from his seat in the stands to the touchline, with his side about to take a 12-8 lead at the end of the first period, he gestured with two fingers to the England coaching team. Simple lip reading suggests that Farrell said something like, “It’s been yours twice.”
As a coach, Borthwick has strived to avoid friction in media calls. On difficult topics such as red cards, his answers were closer to shoulder work outside the stump than to defending the defense. Here, however, he took part. Borthwick responded to Farrell and then reached out to pull Richard Wigglesworth back and get closer to his counterpart.
Even in itself, this subtle move – a former lock taking an ex-scrum-half out of harm’s way when a conversation threatened to get heated – was a poignant reminder of Borthwick’s playing days. As Jim Hamilton would later post on social media, Borthwick was stubborn enough to endure a Premiership final with a torn pectoral muscle. Borthwick is now known for his laptop use, but he also got by in the trenches. Just look at the state of his fingers. When he urges his teams to fight for everything, Borthwick asks for nothing more than he expected of himself.
Of course, there is an element of hindsight bias here. England emerged for the second half and absorbed setbacks, in the form of James Lowe’s two tries, to earn an important victory. But even then, Borthwick’s body language exuded control. He intercepted Farrell, rightly regarded as an imposing warrior-king, and the pair walked down the tunnel together. There was also no sense of submission. Borthwick clearly delivered his points forcefully. In short, he looked like an authoritative figurehead.
Afterwards, Farrell joked about the incident. “Nice to see you, Steve,” was his tongue-in-cheek memory of the tunnel tête-á-tête. Borthwick also went a step further and emphasized his “incredible respect” for Farrell. The pair were co-captains at Saracens, England’s allies at the 2007 World Cup, and coached together on the 2017 British and Irish Lions tour. Throughout the build-up to the weekend, Borthwick continually underlined the tactical acumen and strength of personality that Farrell Ireland has improved since taking over from Joe Schmidt in 2020.
What Borthwick didn’t say out loud, but what was abundantly clear to anyone watching, was that he and his fellow England coaches – Felix Jones, Wigglesworth, Tom Harrison, Kevin Sinfield, Aled Walters and others – were implementing a game plan that Ireland were struggling with . vanquish. Farrell, as you might expect, had no problem admitting that, even amid the great disappointment of the end of Ireland’s Grand Slam effort.
In a strategic battle, fortunately devoid of too many caveats, such as controversial interpretations from the referees, Borthwick won. And not only that. He did this by delivering an assertive and skillful performance. Jamie George promised that this would not be a limiting, spoiling, negative display. The English captain was right.
We know Borthwick’s dedication leaves his mark on the players, but he is also admired for the way he delivers messages. Last Friday during England’s captaincy match, it was noticeable that Borthwick was a prominent voice in the team meeting. He was spurred into his current role by his success at Leicester Tigers, which foreshadowed the Rugby Football Union’s decision to drop Eddie Jones. In the East Midlands he inherited a mess that had to get bigger before it was cleared up. One of the key events that endeared him to Tigers supporters was a feud with Pat Lam in June 2021.
We’ve never seen anything like this before…
Bristol Bears’ replacement tight-head prop was shown a yellow card and time ran out.
Jon Afoa previously came across as a ‘tactical’ substitute, but tensions rose over his return when both coaches became involved. pic.twitter.com/O8afakCVK7
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) June 5, 2021
In the 85th minute, with Tigers trailing Bristol Bears 26-23 at Welford Road, the visitors brought John Afoa back onto the field as Richard Wigglesworth was about to fuel a decisive scrum five meters from their try line. Borthwick was outraged. He claimed Lam had labeled Afoa as injured – and therefore incapable of being a rolling substitute – when he removed the gray tighthead prop earlier in the match. “Don’t lie, Pat,” Borthwick growled repeatedly from under his snood.
Coincidentally, Afoa helped Bristol escape with a win. But Borthwick’s passion and will to win stirred something among the Tigers supporters. More of them recognized him as one of their own, rather than just an outsider who had represented Bath and Saracens during his playing career.
Just over six months later, when Leicester beat Bristol at Ashton Gate with a fine team try finished by Guy Porter in the 84th minute, Borthwick allowed himself a celebration considerably more powerful than his reaction to the final whistle of the Premiership final of that season. At Tigers you will never be admonished for holding a grudge.
Borthwick’s debate with Farrell is unlikely to lead to a lasting rift. But his demeanor and the performance of his players on the field bode well for his future in the job. If teams are molded in the image of their coaches, we can expect England to develop into a side that is not only tactically smart, but also strong.