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England were beaten 29-23 by Scotland in their Six Nations opener before beating Italy 31-14 on Saturday; Steve Borthwick wants to shake things off ahead of games against Wales, Ireland and France ahead of the World Cup later this year
Last updated: 13/02/23 11:23
Steve Borthwick has led England to one win and one defeat from their first two matches
Steve Borthwick needs to quickly investigate the lost England habit that has been evident in the two matches he has been in charge of, knowing that it could upset his players.
England threw away a 20-12 lead with half an hour remaining in their Guinness Six Nations opener against Scotland and were also one point ahead going into the final 10 minutes, before eventually falling 29-23.
Borthwick’s side also lost the second half 14-12 against Italy, with tension in the air at Twickenham until Henry Arundell produced a fine finish in the 71st minute to quell the Azzurri’s rebellion.
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England head coach Steve Borthwick spoke after his side beat Italy at Twickenham in the Six Nations
England face a fraught trip to Cardiff next with clashes with two of the world’s best teams in France and Ireland, with Borthwick making it a priority to identify why they were vulnerable in the second half.
“At eight points up I would expect to win that game against Scotland, said Borthwick, who replaced sacked Eddie Jones in December. “There was another point we were four points up and we let slip.
“When we move forward with this team, when we coach and understand, we will debrief about it really completely so we don’t let the opportunity slide. You can’t turn back the clock. I’m talking about regret as a player and I don’t want this player to regret.
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Sky Sports News’ James Cole analyzes Steve Borthwick’s selection decision for his first Six Nations squad as England head coach, and the surprise move for former Eddie Jones.
“We let one slip against Scotland and we made sure we were fully debriefed to learn from it. Against Italy, there was a moment late in the game where we let the momentum get away from us. I really need to understand what happened and how it happened.
“We couldn’t keep letting the team have momentum late in the game against us. Obviously we let Italy out of the half, which is exactly what happened against Scotland. The system takes time.
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2003 World Cup winner Ben Cohen feels Steve Borthwick and England have a lot of work to do as they continue to build towards the World Cup.
England is ‘slightly behind’ Ireland and France
The day before England’s pack bullied their Italian counterparts, Ireland and France battled out a seismic title collision in Dublin that saw the ball-in-play time 46 minutes.
Andy Farrell’s men came out on top and will arrive at the World Cup later this year as the number one ranked team in the global game, while France have the talent to ensure their slump is only temporary.
Ireland claimed a 32-19 victory over France in Dublin on Saturday
“It was an incredible Test match,” said Borthwick, after watching the match. “The standard of the team is phenomenal. If you can use this four-year cycle well, you should be in a good situation now and then. If you see them strong. We are a bit behind.
“I can’t tell you, but we’re behind it. I can’t do anything about it, but we’re going to work hard to get there as soon as possible.”
Borthwick inherited a struggling team in 2022, prompting Jones to be sacked as head coach, and he insists there is no fast track to success.
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Will Greenwood said more time and work is needed for Steve Borthwick to improve the overall quality of the side
“We’re going to do our best to make it as good as possible. It’s a rebuilding process,” he said. “I know people know this is a rebuild, I know there’s a lot to do here and we need to build some strength here.
“The players have had a difficult time and I asked them to do it differently and go out on the pitch and bring their strength. I felt that against Italy they started to feel embarrassed. Last week there was a reticence to jump straight in. This is what I want.”
What’s Next?
England to Cardiff on February 25 to face the struggle Wales who have not been able to win this year’s championship (16.45). For Italy, The front clash is waiting for the Grand Slam to look forward to Ireland (2.15pm).
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