Steve Borthwick is set to have his England contract extended beyond the 2028 Six Nations to avoid uncertainty before next year's World Cup. RFU performance director Conor O'Shea confirmed the decision, stating that coaches should not look for jobs going into a World Cup cycle. England came into the 2026 championship on an 11-Test winning run but finished fifth in the Six Nations after four defeats from five, including a record home loss to Ireland and a historic away loss to Italy.

The end result was Borthwick's side finishing fifth in the Six Nations standings just over 18 months before the next Rugby World Cup in Australia in 2027. Last week, RFU CEO Bill Sweeney backed Borthwick after a review into England's worst-ever Six Nations showing. Sweeney stated that improvement will come from addressing several areas rather than chasing one simple answer.

Borthwick has engaged in the process with full openness and has clear plans in place to address these findings. England will closely monitor the progress of Courtney Lawes and Joe Marchant over the coming weeks. Both players must outshine their domestic rivals in the Gallagher Premiership to earn a spot in the autumn squad.

Defence coach Richard Wigglesworth has outlined what is required from the Sale duo in the five competitive fixtures before Borthwick names his squad for the second phase of the Nations Championship.