Martin Johnson has offered Brian Smith the role of backs coach with England and is hoping to tie up a deal in time for the Australian to join the summer tour to New Zealand. The Times can reveal that negotiations are continuing to secure Smith's immediate release from London Irish, who are unhappy at the prospect of losing a director of rugby who has done so much to transform their fortunes.

“Things are at a delicate stage, but we expect the appointment to be confirmed any day,” a source said yesterday. “He is a bloody good guy, who would fit in perfectly with what Johnno is doing with England.”

Smith wants the job and has the respect and gravitas that Johnson, the team manager, is looking for in such a senior role. His skills as a coach combined with his management experience, not least with London Irish, whom, in tandem with Toby Booth, he guided to the semi-finals of the Heineken Cup this season, have made him Johnson's first choice ahead of Jim Mallinder, the Northampton director of rugby. Besides finalising the composition of his first England squads, which were announced yesterday, Johnson has been working on the appointment of the backs coach who would be the final piece in his management jigsaw.

Smith would not want to leave London Irish, who have six players on duty with England or the Saxons next month, on bad terms. A club press release commenting on the players' international recognition was issued yesterday in the name of Booth, rather than Smith, which indicates that they are resigned to a parting of the ways. Smith was linked with Ireland as the successor to Eddie O'Sullivan as head coach and admitted at the time that he would like to be involved with an international team. “Everybody would love to be part of a World Cup campaign, but the timing has to be right,” Smith said in March. That time would appear to have arrived.

His appointment by England would be suitable reward for Smith, whose playing career overlapped with Johnson at Leicester for one season in 1990-91. His CV is impressive as a player and coach not only in rugby union but also in league. Smith, 41, was capped by his native Australia six times in 1987 before switching allegiance to Ireland, for whom he made nine appearances between 1989 and 1991. He was also captain of Oxford University. Back home he played for the Queensland Reds in union and for Balmain Tigers in league.

After a spell with ACT Brumbies, Smith joined Bath in 2002, working alongside Michael Foley, a fellow Australian, before moving to Japan, where he was in charge of the Ricoh club. It was from there that London Irish recruited him in March 2005. It was an inspired appointment. It is his depth of experience, his reputation for innovative thinking and his enlightened approach that have attracted Johnson, who has seen London Irish become genuine contenders for domestic and and European honours.

Smith's departure will open the way for Mike Catt to concentrate on developing his coaching career with London Irish on a full-time basis. Catt, who is scheduled to retire as a player, is regarded as a potential future England coach and has also been talking with Johnson. However, he wants to prove himself at club level before setting his sights higher. That did not stop Brian Ashton wanting him as part of his set-up if the former head coach had stayed at the helm.

Johnson's decision to appoint Steve Borthwick as England captain for the tour to New Zealand was greeted with acclaim at Bath, his club. Butch James, who won the World Cup with South Africa last autumn under John Smit, described Borthwick as the best captain he had played for. “He has all the attributes,” James said. “As a leader and a motivator he is special, as he is as a player. Smit was a fine captain, but Steve is something different. You can come into Bath on a match day chilled out, but once you've experienced one of Steve's team-talks you are flying.”

Matt Stevens echoed those sentiments and described the decision to allow Borthwick to leave the Recreation Ground at the end of the season to join Saracens as a travesty. “It is something Bath will come to regret,” Stevens said yesterday. “Over the past two years he has matured as a captain and shown he has what it takes not just to be a good England captain but a great one.”

Johnson and Borthwick: two of a kind

Similarities

Both deep thinkers about the game, Martin Johnson as a natural and Steve Borthwick with a more academic approach. Always looking to second-guess the opposition.

Same height (6ft 6in) and only half a stone in weight between them. Johnson had 37 caps when he first led England, in 1998, while Borthwick has 37 now (but captained the side against Italy three months ago) and both became captain at the age of 28.

Loyal club men: Johnson spent his entire career with Leicester, Borthwick has been ten years with Bath and, though he is moving to Saracens next season, has been a mainstay at the Recreation Ground.

Differences

Johnson kept his hair, Borthwick is fighting a losing battle.

The more abrasive player was Johnson, who took no prisoners and made some high-profile appearances before disciplinary panels. Borthwick has had his brushes with authority but in a lengthy club association with Danny Grewcock has perhaps been the good in a “good cop, bad cop” duo.

Once Johnson found his international feet, during the 1993 Lions tour, he was there for keeps. Borthwick has had to fight for his place since 2001 and has yet to make a Lions tour but could now be coming into his own.

England squad

Backs: M Brown (Harlequins), M Tait (Newcastle Falcons), T Ojo (London Irish), P Sackey (London Wasps), D Strettle (Harlequins), O Barkley (Bath), T Flood (Newcastle Falcons), J Noon (Newcastle Falcons), M Tindall (Gloucester), D Cipriani (London Wasps), C Hodgson (Sale Sharks), D Care (Harlequins), P Richards (London Irish), R Wigglesworth (Sale Sharks). Forwards: J Hobson (Bristol), T Payne (London Wasps), A Sheridan (Sale Sharks), M Stevens (Bath), D Hartley (Northampton), L Mears (Bath), D Paice (London Irish), S Borthwick (Bath), B Kay (Leicester), N Kennedy (London Irish), T Palmer (London Wasps), T Croft (Leicester), N Easter (Harlequins), J Haskell (London Wasps), M Lipman (Bath), L Narraway (Gloucester), T Rees (London Wasps), J Worsley (London Wasps).
Not considered for medical reasons: D Armitage (London Irish), M Cueto (Sale Sharks), L Deacon (Leicester), H Ellis (Leicester), S Geraghty (London Irish), J Lewsey (London Wasps), L Moody (Leicester), S Shaw (London Wasps), J Simpson-Daniel (Gloucester), P Vickery (London Wasps), J Wilkinson (Newcastle Falcons).

Fixtures: June 1: Barbarians (at Twickenham). June 14: New Zealand (Auckland). June 21: New Zealand (Christchurch).

England Saxons squad

Backs: N Abendanon (Bath), B Foden (Sale Sharks), M Banahan (Bath), U Monye (Harlequins), T Varndell (Leicester), A Allen (Gloucester), O Smith (Leicester), D Waldouck (London Wasps), A Jarvis (Harlequins), R Lamb (Gloucester), L Dickson (Newcastle Falcons), P Hodgson (London Irish).
Forwards: A Clarke (Bristol), J Forster (Gloucester) N Lloyd (Saracens), D Wilson (Newcastle Falcons), G Chuter (Leicester), A Titterrell (Gloucester), R Webber (London Wasps), R Blaze (Leicester), A Brown (Gloucester), C Jones (Sale Sharks), G Skivington (London Wasps), S Armitage (London Irish), J Crane (Leicester), T Guest (Harlequins), C Robshaw (Harlequins), W Skinner (Harlequins).

Fixtures: June 7: United States (Ottawa). June 14: Ireland A (Toronto). June 21: Finals day (Chicago).