Steve Borthwick’s England side badly needs an uptick in performances and results after enduring the worst Six Nations showing in their history. From five fixtures, they lost four for the first time ever, suffering a historic defeat to Italy and a record 42-21 home loss to Ireland, finishing fifth.
Despite the RFU backing Borthwick through to the 2027 Rugby World Cup, the head coach recently signed a contract extension to 2028 to avoid future uncertainty. England’s summer tour yielded mixed results, with a heavy 45-21 loss to South Africa overshadowed by wins against Fiji and Argentina. However, under Borthwick, England has now completed four Six Nations campaigns without securing a single piece of silverware, plagued by defensive frailties and attacking errors.
As the autumn Nations Championship approaches, defeats to Australia or Japan would be deemed a disaster, while challenging New Zealand remains a tall order. Meanwhile, Andy Farrell’s Ireland continues to confuse, and Gregor Townsend’s Scotland enters the tournament full of hope.
Source: Sky Sports Champions League · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing