England were left shell-shocked at Twickenham on Saturday, as Australia claimed a well-deserved victory in an Autumn series classic.
Joe Schmidt's Wallabies travelled to London in the pits after suffering heavy defeats during the Rugby Championship, a tournament that saw them finish rooted to the bottom of the table.
Despite this, they were the victors in an all-time classic, with Max Jorgensen's try in the red securing a dramatic 42-37 victory for the visitors.
The manner of England's defeat - particularly England's shocking defensive effort - have piled the pressure on head coach Steve Borthwick, after another excruciating home defeat the week prior to the All Blacks.
Despite reaching the semi-finals of the World Cup just last year, bigger questions now hang over Borthwick's future. One England legend has made a wild suggestion as to how the RFU could handle the 'Borthwick situation,' with Brian Moore suggesting they could move for Ireland head coach Andy Farrell.
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Brian Moore suggests England could move for Andy Farrell as next coach
9 March 2024; Owen Farrell with his dad, and Ireland head coach, Andy Farrell after the Guinness Six Nations Rugby Championship match between England and Ireland at Twickenham Stadium in London, England. Photo by Harry Murphy/Sportsfile
There have already been suggestions from some England fans that the side should move for Irishman Felix Jones, who unexpectedly departed from his role on Steve Borthwick's backroom team after the Six Nations.
However, writing in his Telegraph column after the defeat to Australia, former England hooker Brian Moore has made an even bigger suggestion that would send shockwaves through Irish rugby.
Moore put forward a combination of Ireland head coach Farrell with France defence coach Shaun Edwards as England's potential golden ticket. Most disarming of all is Moore's suggestion that England could even move for Farrell before his current contract with the IRFU expires after the 2027 World Cup.
The problem for Borthwick goes beyond the technical points I will come to later about his coaching changes; it is also a question of timing. We are into the second year after a World Cup and that mandates progress is made and, just as importantly, is seen to be being made.
Borthwick’s position is also not made any more secure by the fact both Andy Farrell and Shaun Edwards have long appealed to England supporters after significant success with other nations.
There is no guarantee that a Farrell-Edwards combination would be available before their contracts expire in 2027, nor that it would be a world-beating one for that matter, but you cannot deny its attraction to most England fans.
Moore appears adamant that Borthwick's job will be under pressure should England lose to South Africa this weekend—an outcome that seems likely given the two sides' respective forms. He suggests that Farrell and Edwards should be considered to replace him in that eventuality while himself acknowledging that the two are locked down to contracts through this World Cup cycle.
It is a crazy shout on multiple levels, with Moore persisting in putting forward the Farrell-Edwards ticket as an option despite the multiple obstacles standing in the way. For one, Farrell has already confirmed that he will not even coach in next year's Six Nations for Ireland, as he prepares to lead the Lions on next summer's tour of Australia. Edwards, for what it is worth, appears more than settled in France, making it hugely unrealistic that he could be tempted to depart.
As an ex-England player operating at the highest level of coaching, however, the Andy Farrell links with England are to be expected - and may only amplify if added pressure comes on Borthwick in the coming weeks and months.
The RFU have previously moved for Farrell - he reportedly turned down a 2018 approach to replace Eddie Jones as England head coach. He was also previously involved on Stuart Lancaster's coaching team, which was infamously ousted after the disastrous 2015 World Cup on home soil.
There is no reason to believe that Andy Farrell will not still be leading the Irish charge when the 2027 World Cup rolls around in Australia.
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