Legendary All Blacks coach Sir Steve Hansen believes that England’s dip in form is linked to the departure of one coach in particular.
Steve Borthwick’s men fell to a 45-21 defeat to the Springboks at Ellis Park in the opening weekend of the Nations Championship, the team’s fifth successive defeat after their worst-ever Six Nations performance.
Prior to this run of defeats, the side had gone on a 12-game winning streak which included victories over Los Pumas in Argentina without several of their players who were representing the British and Irish Lions in Australia.
Hansen, who won back-to-back Rugby World Cups as part of the All Blacks’ coaching team, the latter as head coach, believes that England’s poor run of results is linked to the departure of New Zealander Andrew Strawbridge.
Sir Steve Hansen: Why England have gone backwards in the last 12 months
The former Waikato player joined the coaching set-up as a consultant coach during the 2024 Six Nations before moving into a full-time role with the side in April that year. The former All Blacks assistant coach remained a member of Borthwick’s coaching staff through to November 2025 before vacating his role.
According to Hansen, it’s no coincidence that the team has gone backwards since Strawbridge left his position, while he adds that discipline is a major factor in why England are struggling to win Test matches.
“Well, I think they’ve gone backwards a little bit since they let Andrew Strawbridge go,” he said on the Rugby Unity podcast reviewing England’s defeat to the Springboks.
“I thought their understanding and their skill – little nuances within the skill of their ball carry, their catch-pass, their short-passing game – 12 to 18 months ago was really good. I think some of that’s gone and they’re a bit clunky.
“You look at the losses and discipline problems, and they’re contributing massively. They’ve got to sort that out.”
Former Wallabies head coach Ewen McKenzie joined Hansen on the show and agreed with the former All Blacks boss that England have declined in recent times after playing an all-court game previously.
“I agree with Steve 100%,” he began.
“England were outstanding 12 months ago in terms of their ability to play a total game. They had seemed to have it all in their grasp, and it’s interesting what he says about Strawbridge not being there. So it could be as simple as that.
“I mean, you change the coaching side of things, and the nuances change. They just seem to have lost their way. The discipline is the flagship of issues, but kick contest… They had a late change; Furbank was meant to be there. He dropped out of the team late, so they ended up with Smith at full-back, but South Africa had to deal with the same issues, and they did it without fault.”
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Selection doesn’t suit the style
McKenzie added that Borthwick’s selections don’t suit the style of playing England are trying to achieve. It was noted in the build-up to the clash against the Springboks that England can play multiple types of games, but the former Wallabies boss questioned whether the right men are being selected to execute the plan.
He argued that they have the players to play expansively but are leaning into a more conservative approach, and that could be down to the coaching staff, with Lee Blackett taking over the team’s attack last year.
“They keep drifting back, and maybe that’s a coaching thing,” he said.
“You mentioned Strawbridge. He was maybe taking him into that space, and now they dropped back to with background English coaches of keep drifting back to being old England rugby as opposed to what they could potentially be with the athletes they’ve got.”
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It’s no coincidence
Hansen was certain though that Strawbridge’s exit was the main reason for the recent run of results.
“Andrew Strawbridge came up and spent some time with us at Toyota, and he’s a wonderful, wonderful coach in that particular area,” he said.
“Coaching the nuances of the skill itself, and there aren’t many people who can do it as well as he does. So, I think they’re missing him.
“It’s no coincidence that 12 months ago he was there and they were doing the things we were talking about, and he’s not there, and now they’re not doing them.”
After the defeat to South Africa, England’s focus now turns to Los Pumas as they head to South America, where they will face Felipe Contepomi’s men, who were beaten 38-47 by Scotland last week. Meanwhile, the Springboks host Gregor Townsend’s charges at Loftus Versfeld.