Senior England players have spoken of their shock and disappointment after Felix Jones followed Aled Walters in quitting the national setup but have urged Steve Borthwick to stick with the Irishman’s world-leading blitz defence system.
England squad members were blindsided over the weekend when it emerged Jones had resigned as defence coach eight months into the job, and held a meeting to discuss the impact it would have. The news came soon after the highly popular Walters left to join Ireland, raising awkward questions over Borthwick’s working environment and threatening to derail the progress England have made this year. Jones is said to be particularly close to Walters, who took the role of head of strength and conditioning before last year’s Rugby World Cup.
