Five candidates who could replace Steve Borthwick as England head coach including Ireland legend
Steve Borthwick is aiming to answer questions around his future as England head coach over the next two weeks in the Six Nations as he leads his side to Rome and Paris to face Italy and France.
Fans and Andy Goode have suggested it may be time for him to leave the role, particularly if they suffer two defeats in these games, in order to give his replacement some time, albeit not much, before the World Cup in 2027.
Borthwick seemed untouchable two weeks ago when England made it 12 wins in a row with a victory over Wales, but he may soon be out of a job, especially if he leads the nation to their first-ever loss to Italy.
The question is then, who would be Borthwick’s replacement as England head coach?
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Here at Sportbible we have attempted to find five possible candidates who could come into the role and make England a juggernaut once again, like they were in the 2000s.
Scott Robertson
As of mid-January, Scott Robertson has become available to assume the head coach role after being removed from this role with New Zealand.
Robertson is a highly rated and respected coach in the sport despite his underwhelming tenure in charge of the All Blacks, in which he suffered seven defeats during his 27 Tests in charge.
He will now take charge of the Barbarians this summer, but despite this, he will be available to be appointed England head coach at the drop of a hat should the RFU wish to replace Borthwick with him.
Robertson’s work with the Crusaders made him one of the most sought-after head coaches in the sport due to the attacking approach and success he had with them; this does not disappear overnight after an underwhelming spell with New Zealand, so England may look to bring him in to move away from Borthwick Ball for a more dynamic and exciting approach.
Phil Dowson
Northampton Saints have been one of the most impressive clubs in the Prem for the past three seasons, and this has been led by Phil Dowson and his coaching ticket.
At present, the club are sitting top of the Prem, and they are playing some of the most exciting rugby across Europe; however, it is ultimately the success they have had that has put his name on this list to become the next England manager.
Dowson guided the Saints to the Premiership title in 2024 and led them to the Champions Cup final in 2025, where they would come up short against Bordeaux Begles.
Another important detail is the development of some of England’s most important and promising players currently, including the likes of Henry Pollock and Fin Smith.
Ronan O’Gara
Prior to the appointment of Borthwick as head coach of England, there had been rumours Ronan O’Gara could have been appointed to the role; however, it never came to pass.
The Irish legend brought incredible success to La Rochelle during his tenure, in which he won two Champions Cups as head coach while also guiding them to finish as runners-up of the Top 14 twice.
La Rochelle have struggled across the past two seasons both continentally and domestically, but this can be explained by O’Gara leading a rebuild with the club in transition.
O’Gara’s next step is into international management, having had success at club level, with there being links to the Ireland job once Andy Farrell’s contract expires in 2027; yet, this may not come to fruition as the IRFU may opt for another name, one who has coached within the Irish system.
An issue regarding his immediate appointment may be his desire to remain with La Rochelle until the end of his contract, which is set to expire in 2027, to complete this project, and so this may be the only issue with the RFU appointing him as head coach, as they would need to wait and keep Borthwick in charge, which may not be an option if they lose to both Italy and France.
Andy Farrell
The current Ireland head coach demonstrated in Twickenham, against Borthwick’s side, just why England fans would want to see him in charge of the nation.
Farrell has become one of the most respected head coaches in the sport and has brought some incredible success to Ireland along with the British and Irish Lions since his appointment by the IRFU in 2019.
Along with his coaching staff, they have helped Ireland become one of the best sides in the world, as England looked on with envy over the past couple of years.
There would be a desire by the RFU to appoint him as their head coach; however, in a similar fashion to O'Gara, it may be a waiting game, as Farrell is contracted to Ireland until the 2027 World Cup, and they may not be willing to wait this period for the Englishman if it means England suffers a poor tournament in Australia.
Mark McCall
Perhaps an outside choice for the role, but Mark McCall has been one of the most successful head coaches in England for the past 15 seasons, having secured three European Champions Cups and six Prem titles.
McCall was appointed head coach of Saracens in 2009, and he established the club as one of the most dominant forces in Europe.
It must be mentioned that he has helped to rebuild the club after they were relegated to the Championship after the club was handed a 35-point deduction for breaching the Prem's salary cap rules.
McCall will step down from his current role with Saracens to become part of the board of directors; however, he could be convinced to take over as the head coach of England at the end of this current club campaign.
The former Ulster and Ireland international may be the perfect candidate to prepare England for the World Cup, as he could get his style across to the international side in a short space of time, as there is only 19 months until the tournament in Australia.
Topics: Rugby, Rugby Union
Brendan McGilligan