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Lee Blackett and Byron McGuigan have the chance to cap memorable seasons after being added to Steve Borthwick’s coaching team for England’s trip to Argentina and the USA.
England play two tests against Argentina and then face the USA Eagles in Washington DC.
Bath assistant Blackett will fill in as attack coach while Richard Wigglesworth is away with the Lions. Sale Sharks defence coach McGuigan will help Joe El-Abd with defence.
Blackett has already tasted international rugby with England ‘A’ who beat their Irish counterparts earlier in the year, and he is chasing a treble with Bath and an end to three Premiership Final defeats, after two with Wasps and last year with Bath.
ATTACK, ATTACK, ATTACK
England fans should look forward to seeing their team build on the greater attacking game they saw during the Six Nations.
In Blackett’s first taste of coaching he took Rotherham Titans, a team that played their matches on a local cricket ground, to the Championship playoffs playing an enterprising style.
Wasps’ fans still talk about his backline featuring Danny Cipriani, Charles Piutau, Willy Le Roux, and Elliot Daly, and Finn Russell has flourished under his guidance at Bath.
McGuigan’s promotion to aid El-Abd in defence is recognition of the job he’s done since taking over Sale Sharks’ defence to help put them in contention for the Premiership.
SINGLE DIGIT SCORES
England have not conceded less than 10 tries in a Six Nations since 2020 and this year leaked 15.
After the Felix Jones debacle, making England harder to score against in a priority for Steve Borthwick, and McGuigan can point to a clean sheet against Bristol Bears, and limiting Saracens, Toulon and Racing 92 to a single try apiece.
Borthwick talks about continual improvement and after signs of it on the pitch, there needs to be more on this tour. If all goes to plan, the next question is how to keep hold of these highly rated young coaches.