Steve Borthwick to take up Japan role

Steve Borthwick will link up with former Saracens boos Eddie Jones after being named Japan‘s forwards coach.

The Sarries captain, who will retire after the Premiership final against Northampton on Saturday, was involved with the Brave Blossoms during their Test Series against Wales last summer but will make it permanent ahead of the 2015 World Cup which they qualified for last weekend.

“He’s a fantastic acquisition for us,” said Jones. “He’s a guy who’s played over 300 Premiership games, captained England 21 times and he’s just retiring from the game so he brings all this modern knowledge of how to win the line-out and general forward play.

“He’ll really help raise the level of our line-out particularly.

“I signed him when I was the Saracens director of rugby. He was the first signing I made and he?s helped change the club.

“When I first went to Saracens in 2006 they were in the relegation zone and now they’re in the top two clubs in Europe, which is a fantastic achievement and the consistency of all that has been Steve Borthwick as captain.”