McGuigan’s appointment brings the number of assistant coaches to have worked under Borthwick to 11 in less than three years, however there is now the sense that he finally has the team he really wants heading towards the 2027 World Cup.
McGuigan joins England off the back of one of Sale’s worst performances of his tenure, a 65-14 defeat to Saracens as what had been Prem Rugby’s stingiest defence suddenly conceded nine tries. Yet in the aftermath of such a hammering Alex Sanderson, the Sale director of rugby, revealed precisely what makes McGuigan a special coach.
“He really, really cares,” Sanderson said. “It was his meeting today… and it was pretty tough but it was one borne from care, like a place of love. He was like ‘I love you boys, I want you do this, be great and play for England and this is why I am showing you these things and I need your feedback about whether that is acceptable or not’. It was that kind of meeting. It is difficult to do that unless you have got the players there and they know what you are saying is authentic.
“He’s a coach who is so recently removed from playing, he is able to tap into the emotional cues of the players, to read the players, to be able to inspire intent from the players because it has only been a couple of years since he was at the coalface himself.”
