England Rugby has announced their coaching line-up for the upcoming Test matches against the All Black XV and Spain, with Mark Mapletoft heading up the coaching team.
Who is Mark Mapletoft?
Mark Mapletoft has been senior within the England Rugby set-up for some time, having been the England Pathway Coach and U20 Head Coach since 2020.
During this time, him and his team lead the U20 squad, who are regarded as world number ones, to Guinness U20 Six Nations and World Rugby U20 Championship glory in 2024.
Prior to moving to the national team, Mapletoft was Head Coach, as well as Backs and Attack Coach at Harlequins for a decade, returning to the club that he previously played for.
During his days on the pitch, Mapletoft earnt one cap for England in a Test against Argentina in 1997, with most of his career taking place in the English domestic leagues for Harlequins, Gloucester and London Irish.
Who are the other coaches in the team?
Alongside Mapletoft, the Defence, Forwards and Scrum coaches have been announced for the upcoming Test.
Adam Powell, who has been the Defence Coach at Saracens since 2021, is taking up the same title for the national team across both fixtures.
The Forwards Coach also spans both matches, as James Craig fills the position. Craig has been a senior coach at the Northampton Saints since 2019, having played for the team for eight years prior to his move into coaching.
England Rugby has announced different Scrum Coaches for each game, with Matt Ferguson leading the Test against the All Blacks, and Nathan Catt taking up position for the Spain match.
Ferguson was recently appointed as Lead Rugby Transition Coach by Harlequins following the departure of Billy Millard, whilst Catt has previously played and worked for current Championship victors Bath Rugby.
Why have there been changes in England coaches?
England Rugby’s shakeup of coaches comes ahead of the Autumn Series 2025, which begins with a Test against Australia on November 1.
With the Men’s Rugby World Cup officially now being 2 years away, hosted in Australia at the end of 2027, questions surrounding selection, squads and coaching choices will continue to rear their heads in the coming months.
Who will England be facing in the Test matches?
The recently announced coaching teams will head up the England Rugby set up for two of their upcoming Test matches.
On November 8, the Three Lions will be facing the All Blacks XV at the Recreation Ground in Bath, kicking off at 13:15 GMT.
The next week, on November 15, Spain will host the English national team at the Estadio Jose Zorrilla in Valladolid at 16:00 GMT.
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