England rugby chiefs "are ready to play hard-ball" over their refusal to pay Bristol "millions" in compensation for Steve Borthwick, whose appointment as England coach Eddie Jones's new forwards coach was announced on Tuesday, according to Chris Jones of the London EVENING STANDARD. The Rugby Football Union is reportedly "ready to go to court over Borthwick’s contract," with Bristol having made what Twickenham officials believe is an "outrageously high demand for the former Saracens and England captain’s services." While the RFU is being portrayed as "having stumbled naively into this potentially damaging row," it claims it has been negotiating with Bristol "for weeks" in a bid to agree to terms. The RFU has been prepared to pay a "substantial six-figure sum" to secure Borthwick, whose recently-signed 18-month deal with the Championship club is worth less than £250,000 ($375,300), "even offering a job-share solution until the end of the season." The RFU is understood to have offered north of £600,000 ($900,800) in compensation, while Bristol has countered that the richest union in the world should be offering "millions" in compensation in case it does not get promotion to the Aviva Premiership without Borthwick coaching the forwards. RFU CEO Ian Ritchie has been leading the negotiations "but has found it impossible to broker an agreement" (EVENING STANDARD, 12/16). In London, Lowe & Westerby reported the RFU, which prides itself on "forging strong relations with its clubs, is resigned to a damaging legal battle." The "doomsday scenario for Borthwick" is that Bristol forces him to serve a notice period, "which would leave him in limbo as the Six Nations approaches." Borthwick’s brief is reportedly "wider than his job title of England forwards coach." He will run the lineout, but also act as Jones’s right-hand man, "applying his analysis" and organization skills to planning training sessions. Borthwick: "This is a huge honor as these chances don’t come around often" (LONDON TIMES, 12/16). In London, Jack de Menezes reported England’s "brave new era" under Jones got off to an "embarrassing start" on Tuesday when the RFU announced Borthwick’s appointment as forwards coach without reaching an agreement with Bristol. It is understood that Borthwick, who joined Bristol only in November, "has walked out on the club and left the RFU and Bristol to sort out the details." The announcement that Borthwick had followed Jones into the England set-up "did not come as a surprise, given the 36-year-old worked under the Australian’s tenure with the Japan national team at the autumn World Cup." Northampton Dir of Rugby Jim Mallinder on Tuesday confirmed that the Saints attack coach, Alex King, will this week meet Jones, "who is keen to recruit King as England’s backs coach" (INDEPENDENT, 12/16).
