I’m backing Borthwick to get England on a roll
The great thing about the Six Nations in a World Cup year is it’s even bigger and better. I truly believe we will see the best World Cup in rugby history in 2023 because there are three northern hemisphere teams — France, Ireland and england — who can win it and there are the three big southern hemisphere sides who are getting better all the time.
The best way for one of the home nations to lay down a marker for the World Cup is to win the Six Nations — ideally with a Grand Slam.
It should be a fascinating tournament...
ENGLAND
ENGLAND can absolutely win the Six Nations and the World Cup. The more I think about it, the more excited I am about Steve Borthwick’s appointment as head coach.
I capped Borthwick in 2001 and I was pleased he spoke about his time playing under me when he was unveiled by england.
he spoke about the posters we had on the walls which reminded the players of several aspects of our game, but most importantly to remember the basics.
They are: lineout, scrum and restarts.
Borthwick was right to say england aren’t in the top three in the world in any of rugby’s key areas right now. That has to change and I believe it will.
It will be a big change to the eddie Jones era, where all the focus was on the coach and not the team. I hope the Borthwick era will bring an end to the awful rhetoric that came to symbolise english rugby under Jones. If I had one wish for 2023, it would be to ban the terms ‘ starters’ and ‘finishers’.
What is absolutely vital is that Borthwick is given the chance to stamp his mark on the team and pick a squad that is entirely chosen by him for the Six Nations.
When I read that Borthwick can only make five changes to the existing large england squad due to Premiership and RFU rules, I was more than disappointed. So it was heartening to hear both parties seem to be willing to give Borthwick the green light to pick an entirely new squad.
One huge advantage for Borthwick is he has worked in the england set-up before. he knows the players already and as a former leicester coach, has a great knowledge of the Premiership.
I’m hugely excited for england’s first game with Scotland. Borthwick is in a good position to bring immediate improvement to the team because the pressure is off him and the only way is up after a disappointing last three years.
That is how the Jones era will be remembered, which is a great shame. It should never have been allowed to happen.
England’s first two fixtures — Scotland and Italy at home — could not be better. Win those two and I can see england getting on a roll. I absolutely believe they can beat France at home too.
England won’t get carried away under Borthwick. They will take it one game at a time. That might sound boring, but I’ve always maintained that you have to prepare for your next game as if it was a World Cup final and a match you have to win.
England were guilty of not doing that under Jones. Beating Scotland at Twickenham has to be the first priority and nothing else.
Borthwick needs to nail down who he wants in his starting 15, but especially the key positions of 10, 12 and 13. he has to get the culture right.
I’d like to see form Premiership players like Ollie hassell-Collins and Ben earl given a chance and bring a fresh, youthful vibrancy to the england set-up. Since the 2019 World Cup, Jones picked virtually the same players almost regardless of their club form.
I think that will change under Borthwick and his selection for the Scotland game is an opportunity to really lay down a marker.
I think Borthwick will get Twickenham rocking in 2023 and that would be great to see after the dour and dreary rugby england have produced in recent times.
Make no mistake, Scotland would have preferred to see Jones sitting in the coaching box and not Borthwick.