Twickenham doesn’t hit the bottom very often these days, so when it shakes you wonder if it might crumble under your feet. The last time this happened before Saturday night was in the fall of 2022. This was Eddie Jones’ penultimate match; A thrilling comeback against New Zealand allowed England to draw level, but Marcus Smith put the ball out to end the match. Play a match and get a draw. If we are looking for signs of progress, suffice it to say there is not the slightest hint of regret in his last-gasp strike against Ireland.
But the relief was overwhelming. Because make no mistake, England needed it. His supporters, of course, but more than that, and as Steve Borthwick points out, his players’ progress needed validation. The head coach speaks of his “confidence” in what his players are trying to do and, no matter how much they believe in Borthwick, a clear victory is quickly becoming a necessity. You could see it in the players’ reaction afterwards; The youngsters are jubilant and the senior players are in soothing relief.
Relating to: George says Six Nations win over Ireland ‘one of the proudest days of my career’
They capitulated against Scotland, got into it when the catchphrase hit the crowd, and Borthwick spent the next two weeks making sure it didn’t happen again. His mention of the jersey placing a heavy burden on his players was a surprise – the danger was that this would increase the burden – but it clearly had the desired effect against Ireland.
“The players’ trust in you is really important,” he said. “It is vital. If they don’t trust you, it’s very difficult. We have had a fair period throughout 2023 where we have worked on relationships to develop this trust. I think the important thing for players is to achieve visible, tangible results. “I show them the progress they’ve made, I show them the evidence, but sometimes it’s hard to see, especially when everything is so carefully scrutinised.”
So where does this victory rank in the annals of Twickenham history? The chaotic draw of 2022 happened so quickly that there was a greater sense of disbelief. Before that, there was a one-point victory over South Africa in 2021, but there was still a welcome element of surprise to it, with a Six Nations win over France played in an empty stadium earlier that year. Both were impressive but there are cautionary tales from both, given England lost their next matches at home to Scotland and away to Ireland respectively. But neither victory feels this eye-opening and it’s hard to think of many wins since the one against the All Blacks in 2012.
If there’s any reason to be disappointed, it’s that it had to be canceled for England to put on a performance like this on Saturday. During Jones’ time in charge, judging by the World Cup campaign and Saturday’s display, it appeared he would be at his best when England were considered hopeless; The same can be said in Borthwick’s time. “It sharpens focus,” Jamie George said last week.
To be fair, the difference this time was that England finally imposed themselves on the proverbial opposition. The news from camp in the two weeks of preparation leading up to Saturday’s game was that England were essentially going all out in terms of fast forwarding in training. The game plan was to believe in playing at tempo, put aside mistakes and continue playing at tempo. The fact that it worked is a testament to the players and shows the coaching acumen that Borthwick and his assistants have. This is also an indication that players have developed the “trust” Borthwick mentioned. This wasn’t always the case – there were doubts within the team about the game plan during the World Cup warm-up campaign – but the performance against Ireland was on the back of a desire to stick to the script.
How else did they achieve this? It helps that Borthwick can look to retain George Martin and Alex Mitchell, whose significant England career has required an enforcer role, and in Ben Earl, Borthwick’s outstanding back-row forward for this year’s championship.
But in many ways it is George Furbank who exemplifies this England team. Borthwick repeatedly mentioned the failure of an evacuation he had undertaken at Murrayfield. What he meant was that England lost the ball, but it was the right decision. It seems like an apocryphal story, but Furbank is someone who does great things with the ball in his hands and also drops a few bells and whistles. Borthwick’s decision to back him is a surprise given he coached Freddie Steward at Leicester, but it also shows his determination to emphasize the positive, a trait he is not instinctively associated with.
The challenge now is that England have to back up their performance at Twickenham against the France team that beat Wales in Cardiff on Sunday. There is an outside chance of winning the championship and they are expected to show the same performance they did against Ireland. “If there’s one thing I would encourage players to do, it’s to get into the next battle,” Borthwick said. “If the players are in a supportive environment and we work with them to continue to improve, then I believe the team will progress.”
It’s one thing to come out swinging with their backs against the wall, but if Borthwick can bottle whatever it is that brings England to life when they’re given so few chances, then you suspect he’s on to something.