England's Ben Earl has defended Steve Borthwick's record as head coach following their 23-18 defeat by Italy in Rome. The loss marked England's first ever Six Nations defeat to Italy in 33 matches, leaving them facing their worst championship finish. Earl claimed 'large parts of their performance were brilliant' despite the result.

With pressure mounting on Borthwick after three consecutive defeats, the Rugby Football Union issued a statement of support on Sunday morning. England now needs to beat title-chasing France in Paris to avoid finishing with four losses from five games. The team has won 12 of 15 matches under Borthwick's leadership.

Earl argued that players should be held responsible for the team's recent struggles rather than the coach. 'If anyone is letting Steve down, it's us, the group,' he said, pointing to England's achievements including a third-place World Cup finish and their first win against New Zealand at Twickenham since 2012. The number eight emphasized the need for consistency, noting the team plays well in stretches but fails to maintain performance throughout full matches.