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A Kiwi is helping the way England thinks about rugby

 England's Assistant Coach Andrew Strawbridge during the Guinness Six Nations 2024 match between England and Wales at Twickenham Stadium in February.

Look on the sidelines tonight and you're bound to see a bearded, guru-looking figure in the England rugby team's warm ups – or during the game, not far from the England subs bench.

Former Waikato fullback Andrew Strawbridge joined the England coaching ranks for this year's Six Nations on trial.

He was then confirmed as an assistant coach and coaching adviser for the current England tour of Japan and New Zealand and beyond.

The 59-year-old, a former provincial teammate of future test coaches like John Mitchell and Warren Gatland, has an extensive coaching background in New Zealand. He only ended his link – for the time being – at the World Cup last November after two years as a skills adviser to the All Blacks under Ian Foster.

After finishing playing, he spent several seasons in the NPC coaching Waikato, North Harbour and Auckland. He also assisted Dave Rennie and Wayne Smith at the Chiefs when they won Super titles in 2012 and 2013 and spent time at test level with Manu Samoa.

In 2015, Strawbridge become seriously ill with an infection while travelling to Apia.

He was airlifted home, his life on the line, before spending a week in intensive care and losing sight in his right eye.

Now, Strawbridge now seems well and truly part of the furniture in the England camp.

Veteran centre Henry Slade said Strawbridge is a wise head, picking up little things here and there. Slade said he observes then picks his moments to suggest improvements to individual players. He said Strawbridge has added another dimension to the coaching team.

Impressive flanker Sam Underhill said he's been brilliant, a man of few words, but those words are felt. He said Strawbridge has done a ton of work with the team at the breakdown, where England impressed last weekend in Dunedin.

The Bath loose forward said the New Zealander has taught him a different rugby ethos to that of English coaches.

Underhill also came under the tutelage of former All Blacks captain Todd Blackadder at Bath in his formative years.

England scrum coach Tom Harrison, a young test assistant at just 36 years old, said Strawbridge has taught him so much even after just six months. He said Strawbridge gets his message across in a unique way – and using fairly strong language.

Harrison said Strawbridge knows in that moment what a player needs to be told, a sense of feel and how those words are communicated.

He described Strawbridge as a Yoda-like character.

We'll know later tonight if England has the Force on Eden Park.

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