McGuigan for England?

[Puja]

https://archive.ph/Fxqua

So, to summarise, we lost our defence coach unexpectedly, (allegedly because he was supposed to be our attack coach, but our defence coach wanted to be our attack coach, so he got shoved into defence), so we signed another defence coach on a job-share agreement, because his club wouldn't let him go straight away, and paid the release fee for him at the end of the season. We spent a season with that defence coach on a job-share and then, just as we got him full-time, we then took a new temporary defence coach on our summer tour as well. Then, after that summer tour, we signed the temporary attack coach that we took on the summer tour (paying a release fee for him), moved our existing attack coach to defence (at his own request), which meant that we then needed to move our new defence coach to forwards (I think?).

Upon doing that, we are apparently trying to get the temporary defence coach that we had in the summer to come join, again on a job-share agreement because his club won't let him go, again with a high release fee, but we're not signing him to be the defence coach, but to be "working around the collision area and with the back 3" and "his value lies just as much in his ebullient personality as it does his technical expertise".

In fairness, we said we wanted to move away from Eddie, and Solid Buildingblocks apparent plan to warehouse as many promising English coach as he can lay his hands on into one ginormous backroom team is the polar opposite of Eddie and his inability to keep assistants. But I'm baffled as to how this all works with *so* *many* *cooks*.


I am actually in favour of McGuigan - he's highly rated, appears to've done a belting job in the summer, and I'd rather we had him than Scotland. However, I can't imagine clubs are going to be interested in lending their coaches to England A or summer tours in the future given Bath and Sale's experience this season.

Puja

[Oakboy]

I applaud getting good coaches in but surely SB simply has too many now. Maybe, it's cheaper to keep them all than dump some.

[Puja]

I applaud getting good coaches in but surely SB simply has too many now. Maybe, it's cheaper to keep them all than dump some.

Time for an intervention perhaps?

"Steve, you know we love you. This comes from a place of love and no judgement. I feel that you have a problem and you need help to deal with it. What may've started as just a social "hiring an assistant coach" after work with friends or "just taking on a consultant" every now and again has turned into something that you're not in control of anymore."

Puja

[Captainhaircut]

It’s one more coach than we had before. McGuigan replaces Strawbridge and Blackett is extra.

Feels to me like Wigglesworth is going to move on post World Cup to be a head coach somewhere. McGuigan can shadow him and then take on defence when that happens. A bit of succession planning and a young English coach with good international experience taking on a head coach job somewhere.

Not sure what’s not to like.

[Oakboy]

It’s one more coach than we had before. McGuigan replaces Strawbridge and Blackett is extra.

Feels to me like Wigglesworth is going to move on post World Cup to be a head coach somewhere. McGuigan can shadow him and then take on defence when that happens. A bit of succession planning and a young English coach with good international experience taking on a head coach job somewhere.

Not sure what’s not to like.

Fair comment, if that's the way it works out. I've never really understood why Wigglesworth is rated so highly but that might be simple prejudice because I've never liked SHs who kick away 90% of possession. It seemed twisted that he could coach SHs to play differently - too simplistic but there it is.

[jngf]

Barry?

[Puja]

And now confirmed as joining, but not leaving Sale? Wild

https://www.planetrugby.com/news/meet-e ... bined-role

Puja

[FKAS]

So what is the current setup:

Borthwick - head coach
El Abd - forwards coach
Wigglesworth - defence coach
Blackett - attack coach
Sinfield - skills coach
McGuigan - contact and back three coach (assistant defence coach with extras basically)

I'm expecting at least one coach to be heading off before the world cup personally. Whether that's to help out the floundering Quins coaching staff or head up to Newcastle and that Red Bull money or A N Other I'm not sure.

[Mikey Brown]

We’ll take Blackett and El Abd can have a go at coaching attack for England.