Speaking to Prime Casino, Geordan Murphy said:
- England are trying to copy South Africa but don’t have the players
- The pressure is on England with ‘juggernaut’ France coming up next
- I know that there is discontent around the England team -
- I worked with Steve Borthwick - he said ‘I don’t want to be your friend’
- Richard Wigglesworth is a different character - he has emotional intelligence
- Steve Borthwick is certainly not a ‘people person’
- You do need people like Borthwick but in the outside world his behaviour is not accepted
- Borthwick is just a ‘Tall Eddie Jones’ - his behavior is very similar
- Fin Smith is a world beater and more suited to England’s style than Marcus Smith
- James Lowe is the kind of teammate you want
- Duhan van Der Merwe is a Lions shoo-in alongside James Lowe
- Ireland are a different side with Jamison Gibson-Park in the team
England aren’t playing well - they are trying to copy South Africa but don’t have the players
They're not really playing well considering they have got such good players. It hasn't worked. When Steve took over before the World Cup, it was almost a patch job and it was acceptable to play the game the way they wanted to play.
I watched the semi-final against South Africa in a box in Stade de France. Some of the French players I was with refused to watch the game. They said, ‘This isn't rugby, this is horrific.’
England tried to just grind that out and I guess that's okay if that's your identity and that's your real strength like South Africa will do that because they have physical dominance to do that.
The English side doesn't have the ball carriers to do that to win those collisions.
The pressure is on England with ‘juggernaut’ France coming up next
Yes, the pressure is on England after losing to Ireland on the opening day. They’ve got France coming this week, that's a juggernaut.
I think France will be favourites at Twickenham. France, for me against Wales, looked like they were in second gear, and they played really fantastic rugby. The pressure was off and they're dangerous when they do that.
I'd expect France to beat England in Twickenham which then puts huge pressure on the Scotland game, and you've got the Scots coming down who were kind of very much dark horses for the tournament. I don't think they played overly well against Italy but did enough and they'll be coming down with great confidence.
The Scots will be coming down to Twickenham having won the last four Calcutta fixtures, and if England are on two losses, that's a pivotal game. That's where the pressure is. That's where you see what you're about, see if the guys are going to buy in.
I know that there is discontent around the England team - there’s reasons coaches have left
I do know that there's a little bit of discontent in and around the coaching teams and you always know that when you hear players have derogatory nicknames for coaches that’s not great.
Everything that I hear from the England squad is, ‘Oh, you know, it's a great place.’
But again, if you're a player in the England squad, there's no point in asking anybody that question because you're not going to be stupid enough to go ‘It’s awful and we don't want to buy in.’
You just hear little things. I don't know how true and it's all second-hand information.
It’s just a couple of bits and pieces. There are obviously factors, there's reasons that coaches have left. It's all part of the issue, isn't it?
I worked with Steve Borthwick - he said ‘I don’t want to be your friend’
I never played with Steve. I played against him. I played against him, played England-Ireland, played Leicester-Bath, Leicester-Saracens against him. I worked with him very briefly at Leicester during the pandemic. He can coach; I think he's a good coach - that's it.
We are certainly not friends. That's all I know. When I briefly worked with Steve that was something that he made very apparent. He said to me , ‘I don’t want to be your friend.’
That makes it very difficult when you're in a working environment and somebody comes to you and says that. He just cares about being a good coach. I only really saw him on the surface so I didn't really get to know him too well.
Richard Wigglesworth is a different character - he has emotional intelligence
I signed Wiggy to Leicester; it was probably one of the last things I did before I got the heave ho. He was leaving Saracens and there was a nice opportunity to get someone who was vastly experienced and who could help the young group through.
I think he's a different character to Borthwick. He gets the personal side of it more, in my experience of him. He gets the interpersonal piece more than Steve. He’s got a decent amount of EQ emotional intelligence
Steve Borthwick is certainly not a ‘people person’ - his character is, ‘keep people away from me’
He’s very single-minded, very focused on facts and figures. He’s certainly not a people person. That wouldn't be something that would ever be said about him.
It’s important in the international environment to try to be inclusive. But even the England guys who played with him say they’d invite him to join them for a coffee on a day off like a Wednesday. Steve would say, 'No it's ok I’m busy, I've got something on.’
Then the players would go into a coffee shop and there would be Steve sitting on his own with his notebook and you know with his thoughts and his line-outs.
He just didn't want to come out with them. Naturally he doesn't want to be around people. His character is, ‘Keep people away from me, I just want to worry about my job.’
You do need people like Steve Borthwick but in the outside world his behaviour is not accepted
There's probably a balance. In my experience, that was kind of why I wanted to work with Steve.
The nuts and bolts and detail would probably kind of be the opposite of where I am. I am more about feelings and people. But then you need to have that nuts and bolts. You need to have those facts and figures as well.
I know Steve has a huge amount of respect for Eddie Jones. Just from looking at the track record of the RFU employees that left under Eddie, I know that way of leading is a challenging one to get right because you're putting a lot of pressure on people.
In the companies I work with now, that behaviour just wouldn't be accepted, wouldn't be tolerated. I think you just got to be very careful with the way people are sort of treated
Steve Borthwick is just a ‘Tall Eddie Jones’ - his behavior is very similar
If they hadn’t just got rid of Eddie, I’d say that would be the case. IIf they do think of getting rid of Steve, then the questions have to be asked, and fingers pointed elsewhere as well because he effectively is a ‘Tall Eddie Jones.’
That's what I'm hearing in camp, that his behaviour is very similar to Eddie. So why would you get rid of one bloke and replace him with an English clone?
There's a lot of people who've been complicit in making that decision, so I think it looks bad for a lot of people. So, no I don't think you do get rid of him. I don't think they can get rid of him. I think they’ll stick with him.
But that's good for everyone else!
Fin Smith is a world beater and more suited to England’s style than Marcus Smith
I was really impressed with Fin Smith when he came on. I thought he did a great job. In saying that it’s difficult for Marcus who keeps getting shoved back to fullback. Marcus is an absolute world-class performer. He can do a fantastic job for you.
But I’ve always wanted to see a little bit more of Fin Smith to see him at the top level. I would have chosen him starting against Ireland.
They're both two young tens, I think that's the great thing about English rugby, it's another position that you've got really well stacked.
The two boys are the future. Fin Smith is class. I think he's an absolute world-beater. I'd like to see what he's got. I'd like to see him under the pump, under real pressure.
But the way England want play at the minute, it's probably Fin Smith who is the fly half. Marcus doesn't seem to have the freedom with England that he has when he plays for Harlequins.
He doesn't seem to have the same joie de vie or the love of the game that he has when he plays for Quins and that's a tough one for him.
Marcus Smith is an unbelievable player. They've both got a role to play but I would like to see Fin have some more opportunities at international level and see where he gets to. I am sure he has a very high ceiling.
When Marcus gets put to 15, it’s been very much a case of the game's gone, and England are chasing it. Marcus is a better attacking option than most of the English team.
James Lowe is the kind of teammate you want
I know he's always in the melees and always pulling and dragging people! Everyone knows that's the kind of teammate that you want. And I think there's a lot of people like that. Maro Itoje stamped on Mack Hansen’s toe, and it went on social media.
I think it is great because it's just a little bit of niggle that's gone out of the game. So Lowe couldn’t be criticised because people would have said, ‘Well look at your captain!’
I think Lowe’s a cracking player. I didn't really ever see the annoying side of him until Dan Cole said in his podcast,’ He’s so annoying. I wish he'd be punched in the face!’
Duhan van Der Merwe is a Lions shoo-in alongside James Lowe
Yes, he and Duane van de Merwe are shoo-ins for that spot. Lowe has also got a kicking game that really adds to the team. He’s been great for Ireland.
There’s a lot of competition on the wings for the Lions, but he and Duhan are the starters for me. Those two guys are probably hands down the way you want to play.
There’s also Darcy Graham, Mack Hansen, and Feyi-Waboso who's going to put his hand up. Tommy Freeman for me is absolutely class. So, you're going to have some options around those wing spots.
Ireland are a different side with Jamison Gibson-Park in the team
For the last three years people have been talking about the Johnny Sexton factor and when Johnny Sexton retires what's going to happen to the team. Every time it was said, I said Johnny's amazing but for me it's Jamison Gibson-Park.
When he's playing, Ireland are a different team. Connor Murray, full respect, absolutely played with the guy, is probably at the back end of his career.
Gibson-Park for me, is a shoo in for the Lions, absolutely brilliant. I really rate the Scottish nine as well, Ben White.
I did a bit of work with him when he was a youngster. I think he's a fantastic option, particularly if Finn Russell's going to go. And then, you're looking at the next nine from Wales and it should be Tomos Willaims.
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