Steve Borthwick: Head coach under scrutiny as England prepare to face South Africa
After the extraordinary 42-37 defeat by Australia, Steve Borthwick’s win record as England head coach stands at exactly 50%, with 13 wins from his 26 matches in charge.
It is a middling record which stacks up unfavourably compared to his two predecessors, Eddie Jones (73%) and Stuart Lancaster (61%).
But there is context to add. Borthwick is rebuilding the team after relying on an experienced core of players at the Rugby World Cup last year.
The likes of Owen Farrell, Courtney Lawes, Manu Tuilagi, Billy Vunipola, Kyle Sinckler, Ben Youngs, Danny Care and Jonny May – mainstays of the past decade – are no longer available. Any rebuild takes time.
And while England have lost five of their past six matches, all of those defeats have been against top-level opposition and all have come down to a single score.
These are the caveats that explain why Borthwick retains the full support of the Rugby Football Union. As far as the RFU is concerned, Borthwick is in for the long haul and was recently handed more power than any England head coach before him.
However, the capitulation at the hands of the Wallabies will have tried the patience of even the most loyal England fans. It was England’s sixth loss in 10 matches in 2024. They are now down to seventh in the world rankings.
In the immediate aftermath of Saturday’s game, captain Jamie George spoke of the “external noise” that would accompany the defeat and the need for the squad to “stay tight and keep believing”.
With the double world champions South Africa rolling into town next week, how Borthwick and England react will be critical.
England’s two statement victories under Borthwick – Argentina at the World Cup and Ireland in the Six Nations – both came with the side written off. They will again be underdogs against the Springboks, yet there is still every chance England can push them close.
But there is plenty to fix. While the defence looked in good nick against New Zealand, it was markedly porous against the Wallabies.
Borthwick pointed to his side’s loose ball-handling and contact skills as a reason why, but the constant flux in the backroom team – something Borthwick would have been desperate to avoid – cannot be helpful.
England have had three different defence coaches in the past 12 months, with Joe el-Abd taking over at the end of September. None of this was part of Borthwick’s plan.
While George insisted England’s tactical plan is clear, the team still looks caught between two identities.
Marcus Smith has started England’s last five games – and was excellent against Australia – but plays in a different way to the more experienced George Ford, who was Borthwick’s man through the Six Nations and may well have started on the summer tour of the New Zealand if he had been fit.
Stylistically, the team switched from a kick-first gameplan at the World Cup to a more expansive approach during the spring, but the man at the heart of that revolution – scrum-half Alex Mitchell – has missed the two autumn openers.
Borthwick has put his faith in Smith, but only up to a point, bringing Ford on in the final quarter in both games this November in an attempt to close the games out.
Boos rang around the Allianz Stadium when it looked like Smith was being taken off against the Wallabies – he was actually moved to full-back – and number eight Ben Earl admitted afterwards England were testing the patience of the supporters.
The two Test matches this month have been excruciatingly close; England have been the width of a post and a fumbled kick-off away from winning both games.
But those are the margins at the highest level, and there is no coincidence the best sides in the world manage to get over the line in similar circumstances.
And while England are not flush with caps, there is still enough experience in the set-up. Supporters will quickly tire of talk of learning lessons if the lessons are not being learned.
It was telling Borthwick took on a very different tone in his interviews after the Australia defeat compared to a week prior.
Last weekend he praised his side and stressed the quality of the All Blacks; this time he was visibly angry at his side’s inaccuracy and poor decision-making, as England were hooked into a loose game that played into Australia’s hands.
With South Africa tuning up for Twickenham by battling past Scotland, Borthwick will know more than anyone how much better England will have to be if they are to compete with the best team in the world and lighten the mood around Twickenham.
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