Felix Jones would be allowed by the Rugby Football Union to join the British & Irish Lions coaching staff next summer despite being instructed to continue working his notice remotely after Joe El-Abd’s appointment as England’s defence coach.
The RFU has confirmed El-Abd will take over from Jones for the autumn internationals but will continue in his role as head coach of Oyonnax in France’s second tier until the end of the season.
Jones has been pushed to the margins by Steve Borthwick and will not be in camp during the autumn, instead providing remote support. The Irishman’s resignation blindsided the RFU in August, eight months into the job, with the union’s chief executive, Bill Sweeney, saying he was “deeply disappointed”.
Jones has a 12-month notice period and the RFU would demand significant compensation if he wants to take up a permanent position elsewhere before it expires. As a result, he could remain in his remote England role until next August but, should that be the case and despite the obvious frustration with his resignation, it is understood the RFU would not stand in his way if Andy Farrell wanted to second him to the Lions tour of Australia, which starts in June.
Jones must be considered among the favourites for a Lions assistant coaching post given his pedigree as a two-times World Cup winner with South Africa. All the more so given that Simon Easterby will step up from being Farrell’s defence coach to take charge of Ireland over the summer rather than come into consideration for the Lions.
El-Abd will not begin working exclusively for England until the summer but it is understood he will be full-time during the autumn, when New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Japan visit Twickenham, and the Six Nations, rather than splitting his commitments with Oyonnax during international windows. He is a close ally of Borthwick’s – the pair shared a flat together while at the University of Bath – and though he is coming from the second tier of French rugby, he has a number of admirers at the RFU.
After a summer of upheaval with the head of strength and conditioning, Aled Walters, quitting to join Ireland, Borthwick said: “Joe embodies the qualities we value in the England rugby team and I am sure he will add to our environment and quickly deliver continued improvements to our game.
“I’m delighted to bring in someone with Joe’s expertise to our coaching programme. His knowledge, passion for the game and proven experience in developing high-performing teams will be key to the squad’s ongoing development.”
Having finished his playing career at Oyonnax in 2014, El-Abd joined the club’s coaching staff, initially as forwards coach. After a year he moved to Castres before returning to Oyonnax to take over as head coach in 2019. The 44-year-old also served as defence coach for an England XV against the Barbarians in 2019 when Eddie Jones handed the reins to Jim Mallinder.
It is said he is committed to continuing with the ultra-aggressive blitz defence system introduced by Jones.
“I feel incredibly honoured to join the England coaching team, and I can’t wait to get started,” said El-Abd. “I am excited by the direction in which this England team is headed and where they want to go under Steve’s leadership. His enthusiasm is infectious, and his vision for this team is clear.
“Defence is a huge part of the game and it’s something I’m extremely passionate about. I am excited by the opportunity to keep developing a defence that will help drive England’s success. I’d like to thank everyone at Oyonnax, especially [president] Dougal Bendjaballah for understanding my deep desire to coach the England national team.”
