England rugby coach Steve Borthwick issues foreign manager warning as he reacts to Thomas Tuchel appointment

ENGLAND rugby manager Steve Borthwick welcomed Thomas Tuchel into the international club – but warned that foreign managers do not tend to produce winning sides.

Borthwick suggested that the testimonials of Tuchel’s former club players represent the biggest reasons to believe he can be a Three Lions success.

But the Red Rose chief, who worked under Eddie Jones with Japan and England and then succeeded the Aussie, pointed to the history of top level sport to suggest Tuchel will have to break the mould of history.

Borthwick said: “I’ve not met Thomas, although I’ve read a lot about him – and probably in the last 12 hours read even more about him.

“I would look forward to hopefully having the opportunity at some stage to learn more from him.

“The players speak really well of him and they are the best judges.

“You hear them and read what they say. Good players say good things about him.

“Hopefully I will have an opportunity to meet him in the future.”

Asked whether a coach’s nationality matters, Borthwick added: “First and foremost it is about having the best coach for the team that you have.

“Different coaches are needed for different teams and what a team needs at any one point in time is going to be really, really clear.

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“But what we have also seen is that not too many major trophies have been won by teams coached by a coach from another nation.

“That is just fact. The key point is, get the right coach. That is the most important thing.”