Debutants step up to the plate
BORTHWICK: COACH THRILLED WITH ENGLAND ROOKIES
Head coach Steve Borthwick Saturday praised the impact England’s debutants made in their tight 27-24 Six Nations win over Italy which ended a long-standing opening day hoodoo.
England squeezed past Italy in a tight clash in Rome, in which five players made their international debuts for the visitors.
Flanker Ethan Roots was one of the two new starters alongside centre Fraser Dingwall and Borthwick was delighted with the way the Exeter back-rower handled his first Test match.
“You don’t want to single any individuals out because it was a special day for all five of them and as a coach it felt like a special day to be involved in it with them,” Borthwick told reporters.
“But Ethan Roots if you look at him in particular, to make his debut and look very much at home.
“He played 80 minutes and just looked at home. He was outstanding,” the former England captain added.
Borthwick is hoping prop Ellis Genge can return to action for England’s next match with Wales after he had to drop out with a foot injury hours before kick-off.
“I’ll be really hopeful that Ellis will be available next weekend,” said Borthwick, who added that scans on Friday showed that Genge had experienced a flare up of a problem which had troubled him in the past.
Italy head coach Gonzalo Quesada was disappointed with the defeat which came after having a nine-point lead midway through the first-half, as well as a narrow advantage at the break.
Quesada made his debut as Italy boss and was proud of his team despite failing to secure a first home win in the Six Nations since 2013.
“I’m proud of the character shown by the team, especially when we found ourselves in difficulty,” said Quesada.
“What I liked...is that there isn’t a single player or staff member who is satisfied with this narrow defeat.
“That’s something that is very important to me,” the former Argentina flyhalf added.
Italy now face the daunting task of taking on favourites Ireland in Dublin, a huge test for a team which was savaged by New Zealand and France at the last Rugby World Cup and has a knack of making errors in pressure situations. –