Gustard on three-strong England defence coach shortlist

Former England assistant coach Paul Gustard, Oyannax head coach Joe El-Abd, and Stormers assistant Norman Laker are all in contention to replace Felix Jones as England defence coach.

England boss Steve Borthwick has quickly moved to find a replacement for Jones, who handed in his shock resignation last month.

While the Irishman has a 12-month notice period, it is expected an announcement on Jones' successor could be imminent.

England’s next match is against New Zealand at Allianz Stadium in Twickenham on 2 November.

Gustard worked as an assistant under Eddie Jones from 2016 to 2018, helping the side to back-to-back Six Nations titles.

He moved to Harlequins as Head of Rugby in the summer of 2018 before stints at Benetton and Stade Francais, with the club reaching the Top 14 semi-finals earlier this year.

Another strong candidate is the former Bristol flanker El-Abd, who has forged an impressive coaching career in France following his retirement in 2014 and is known to be a close confidante of Borthwick’s.

Meanwhile, Laker has emerged as a left-field contender to move to Twickenham after being a key part of the coaching staff at South African side Stormers, who won the United Rugby Championship in 2022 and reached the final a year later.

All three are believed to have spoken to Borthwick in the past few weeks, with an announcement expected by the end of the month.