by Twickenham to the core isn’t heard very often these days so when you wonder if it will fall to pieces beneath you. The last time it happened, before Saturday night, was in the autumn of 2022. It was Eddie Jones’ header as a thrilling comeback against New Zealand pulled England level, except when Marcus Smith managed to kick the ball, the end of the game. match and put on the draw. If we’re looking for signs of progress then, suffice it to say, there were no regrets about his last kick against Ireland.
Relief, however, was abundant. Because, make no mistake, England needed that. His supporters, sure, but, more than that, and as Steve Borthwick pointed out, he needed his players to validate their progress. The head coach says his players have “confidence” in what he is trying to do and, as much as they believe in Borthwick, a statement win was quickly becoming a necessity. You could see it in the reaction of the players afterwards – the youngsters great, the senior players getting a cathartic release.
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They led Scotland, got themselves in when the proverbial hit the fans, and Borthwick spent the next two weeks trying to make sure it didn’t happen again. It was a big surprise that he talked about the jersey that was weighing heavily on his players – the danger that he added to the burden – but it is clear that he had the desired effect against Ireland.
“The confidence of the players in you is very important,” he said. “It’s vital. If they don’t trust you, it’s so hard. There was a fair period during 2023 when we were working on a relationship to try to develop that trust. I think what’s important for players is to get visible, tangible results. I’m showing them the progress they’re making, showing them the evidence, but sometimes it’s hard to see, especially when everything is played under such scrutiny.”
So where does this victory sit in the annals of history at Twickenham? The helter-skelter draw of 2022 happened so quickly that there was an even greater sense of disbelief. That was preceded by a one-point win over South Africa in 2021, albeit again with something of a pleasant surprise, and the Six Nations win over France earlier that year played in an empty stadium. Both were impressive but there are cautionary tales from each as England lost their next game on both occasions – at home to Scotland and away to Ireland respectively. Neither win feels as triumphant as this, though, and it’s hard to think of many since the 2012 win over the All Blacks.
If there is cause for frustration, England need to be written off with a performance like theirs on Saturday. It was the case when Jones was in charge that England got the best of themselves as they were pushed out of their position as hopeless and judging their World Cup campaign, and the performance on Saturday, the same can be said of Borthwick. “It sharpens the focus,” Jamie George said last week.
In fairness, the difference this time is that England have finally put themselves up against respectable opposition. The word from the camp in the two-week build-up to Saturday’s game was that England were really getting everything up to speed in training. The game plan was to have the confidence to play at speed, to eliminate mistakes and continue to play at speed. It is a testament to the fact that it has worked for the players and shows the coaching ability of Borthwick and his assistants. It is also an indication that the players are developing the “confidence” that Borthwick talks about. It wasn’t always the case – during the heat of the World Cup campaign there were doubts in the squad about the game – but the performance against Ireland was a result of a willingness to stick to the script.
How else did they achieve it? It helps that Borthwick can call on George Martin, whose impressive England career is emerging in an enforcement role, and Alex Mitchell and, in Ben Earl, Borthwick has the best back-row of this year’s championship at his disposal. .
In many ways, however, George Furbank represents this side of England. Borthwick has repeatedly spoken about his offload at Murrayfield which went down the ground. His point was that England lost the ball but it was the right decision to make. It seems like an apocryphal story but Furbank is someone who does amazing things with the ball in hand and also drops a few clangers. Borthwick’s decision to back him is surprising given that he coached Freddie Steward at Leicester but it also shows his determination to emphasize the positive, a trait he does not possess instinctively.
Now the challenge is for England to back up their performance at Twickenham against the French side who beat Wales in Cardiff on Sunday. Winning the championship is an outside goal and it is expected that they will succeed as they did against Ireland again. “If there’s anything I can encourage the players to do, it’s to go into the next battle,” Borthwick said. “If the players are in a supportive environment and we work with them to keep improving, I think the team will move forward.”
It’s one thing to swing when your back is against the wall but if Borthwick can bottle whatever it is that gives England life when they have few chances then you suspect he is on to something.
