Eddie Jones lines up new England attack coach ahead of South Africa tour
England announce their squad to tour South Africa on Thursday and Eddie Jones will this week add an attack coach to his backroom staff for the trip.
The squad have been without a back coach since Rory Teague joined the coaching team at Bordeaux-Begles 12 months ago.
England struggled in this year’s Six Nations, losing their last three games and finishing fifth, so South Africa looms as a vital tour on the road to next year’s World Cup.
“Certainly we need to bring in another coach to help with the attack,” Jones told BBC Sport.
Jones revealed the coach, who is unlikely to join up with England permanently, has worked with him before.
That opens up the possibility of a secondment for Sam Vesty, who will make the switch from the Worcester coaching team to Northampton’s this summer. He was on England’s tour to Argentina last summer.
Australian Glen Ella is another name in the frame. He worked with England on the triumphant tour of Australia in 2016, while Ali Hepher, the Exeter head coach, looked after the Saxons that summer. His club’s involvement in the Premiership play-offs would complicate things, however.
Jones’s predecessor as England coach, Stuart Lancaster, has ended speculation he could become director of rugby at Harlequins. Lancaster is preparing Leinster, where he is senior coach, for their Champions Cup Final with Racing 92 in Bilbao on Saturday.
“I wouldn’t even contemplate doing it. For me it’s all about Leinster,” said Lancaster, who left the England job after the team’s pool exit at the 2015 World Cup.
