Richard Wigglesworth: England’s Performance Pressure is a Privilege

Richard Wigglesworth, who previously served as head coach for Leicester Tigers, has taken on a role within Steve Borthwick’s England coaching staff. The upcoming Autumn Nations Series match will see England face South Africa at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, on Saturday, 16 November, with kick-off scheduled for 17:40 GMT. Coverage will be available via live commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds, alongside live text commentary on the BBC Sport website and app. Senior coach Richard Wigglesworth has stated that the demand for England to achieve positive outcomes is an inherent part of the honour of representing the national team. England has experienced defeats in their last four matches, including close losses to New Zealand and Australia during their initial two Autumn Nations Series fixtures. The team is set to compete against the reigning double world champions, South Africa, at Allianz Stadium this Saturday. Wigglesworth emphasized that it is the coaches’ responsibility to “step back” from external distractions. “This job of being part of the England team is such a privilege, because so many people care, which makes your feeling on the matter really big,” he told BBC Sport. “Our job is to step back from that and see what was right, what was wrong, and what can we fix.” “We need to see the game for what it is, make the decisions for what they are, and get better every week.” “It is our job to make sure the players understand as much as they can that they can’t get affected by that as well.” “We know the attention the team gets is result-dependent, and rightly so.” England’s most recent encounter with South Africa occurred in the Rugby World Cup semi-final, where the Springboks recovered from a 15-6 deficit to narrowly win a fierce contest 16-15. Wigglesworth noted that the Springboks are a different squad compared to that previous match, having “evolved a little bit” in their strategic approach. However, he anticipates that the visiting team will continue to rely on their established strengths, particularly a bench heavy with forwards, which will be introduced in the second half. “They have a squad and a plan they have done for a while, and when you are successful you tend to stick to things,” he added. “I have really enjoyed watching what they do, and how they do it, it is our job to meet that and rise to it.” Wigglesworth also clarified that the England coaches are not in direct communication with former defence coach Felix Jones. Jones, who was part of the South Africa set-up for the past two World Cups, resigned from the England set-up in August. According to the RFU, he is currently serving his notice period by providing remote analysis. “I believe he is working with us behind the scenes, but we have not been in touch with him personally,” Wigglesworth said.