Tindall warns Borthwick has painted a 'bullseye' on himself by rejecting Shaun Edwards

Mike Tindall has warned Steve Borthwick that he has put a “bullseye” on himself after Shaun Edwards publicly revealed the England head coach declined to bring him into his coaching staff, despite Edwards saying he would have accepted virtually any position available.

Edwards, 60, disclosed on the BBC’s Rugby Union Weekly podcast that he had held a direct conversation with Borthwick about joining England’s set-up, only for the head coach to decide against it. “If it came to England, if I was assistant kit man, I’d be there ready for work,” Edwards said. “I said to Steve, ‘you can make me assistant kit man and I’ll be there, I’ll be ready for work.’ But Steve made his decision and I thanked him for his honesty.”

Edwards was careful not to detail the substance of the exchange, adding: “It was a personal conversation, so I don’t think it would be fair on Steve for me to repeat.” He did, however, credit Borthwick for his directness. “Due credit to him, he was honest — he said he was happy with his staff and the way that things had been going, and I respected him for that.”

Tindall, responding on The Good, The Bad & The Rugby podcast, argued that England had missed a significant opportunity. “I don’t think my opinion has changed from the past,” he said. “I think if you have the opportunity…” — the implication being that passing on one of the most decorated defence coaches of his generation was a decision Borthwick would be held accountable for.

The backdrop makes the rejection harder to defend. England conceded more points during this year’s Six Nations than in any previous Championship campaign, with Richard Wigglesworth currently overseeing their defence alongside Byron McGuigan, who recently joined the staff on a full-time basis. Joe El-Abd, who previously held the defensive brief, has shifted to the forwards and is due to leave Borthwick’s coaching team after next year’s World Cup.

Edwards’ availability had appeared to offer a timely solution. He left his role with France’s defence during the summer — a position in which he helped Les Bleus become one of the most defensively formidable sides in the world — and briefly joined the Red Roses on a consultancy basis for the WXV Global Series. Instead, he signed with Argentina last month on a deal running through to the 2027 Rugby World Cup.

For England supporters, it is a familiar frustration. Edwards has been the coach many have most wanted to see involved with the national team for the better part of two decades, and the window has now closed again — this time, it appears, at Borthwick’s own choosing.