RFU Review Supports Borthwick Despite England's Six Nations Struggles
Steve Borthwick, appointed as England head coach in December 2022 following Eddie Jones, led the team to the semi-finals of the 2023 Rugby World Cup. However, a Rugby Football Union (RFU) review has identified several shortcomings in England's recent Six Nations performance, including a lack of discipline, accuracy, and cutting edge, contributing to a disappointing campaign.
England secured only one victory during the tournament, an opening-round win against Wales, who ultimately finished last in the standings. The team suffered defeats in their remaining four matches, marking England's poorest Six Nations performance since the tournament expanded from the Five Nations format in 2000.
"This has been a thorough and honest review, and it is clear that improvement will come from addressing several areas rather than chasing one simple answer," said RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney.
"This is a young England team that is still growing and developing, and we understand progress in international sport is rarely linear. Steve has engaged in this process with full openness and has clear plans in place to address these findings. We are all behind him and his coaching team going into the Nations Championship and the series of matches leading into Rugby World Cup 2027."
The RFU conducted a detailed analysis of England's performance, a standard procedure following each Six Nations campaign. This year’s review was led by an anonymous panel of rugby experts who interviewed coaches and players. Sweeney had previously acknowledged that this year’s review needed to investigate more deeply due to the "unusual outcome" of England’s results.
While the RFU cited "performance confidentiality in a competitive sporting environment" as a reason for not disclosing full details of England’s weaknesses, it confirmed that multiple areas required improvement. The review also noted that Borthwick’s position was strengthened by England’s preceding 12-game winning streak before their decline in form.
"The review concluded that, despite coming off a 12-game winning run, England's underperformance across the Six Nations was not the result of a singular failure or issue," the RFU stated.
"Instead, it highlighted a number of interconnected performance areas, such as discipline, execution of opportunities and making the most of key moments, where improvement is required if England are to consistently perform at the level expected. We recognise why supporters felt frustrated and that they expected more. That disappointment was shared internally, and it underpinned the seriousness with which everyone engaged in this process. England head coach Steve Borthwick has engaged in the review with honesty and rigour, and he and his coaching team are already addressing issues identified."
England's Troubles in Numbers
Discipline issues were prominent during the Six Nations, with England receiving eight yellow cards. Two of these contributed to Henry Arundell’s 20-minute red card against Scotland, which significantly hindered England’s efforts. This tally represented the highest number of cards received by any team in a single tournament since Italy’s 2002 campaign, which was similarly marked by poor discipline.
In terms of attacking statistics, England recorded the second-highest number of entries into the opposition’s 22-metre area, with 53 incursions, trailing only champions France who had 57. However, England averaged just 2.7 points per visit, a poor return surpassed only by Italy, who averaged 1.6 points.
England also kicked the ball more than any other team in the Six Nations, a strategy that frequently frustrated fans due to the perceived lack of variety in their game plan. Despite this, Borthwick maintained that his team had the freedom to innovate and play instinctively when opportunities arose. The seven tries scored in a narrow loss to France in the final round were cited as evidence of this potential.
"The way in which the team aspires to play was clear throughout the review," the RFU added.
Upcoming Fixtures and Challenges
England’s next fixture is scheduled for 4 July in Johannesburg against world champions South Africa, followed by matches against Fiji and Argentina on subsequent weekends. Notably, the Springboks have recruited assistant coach Felix Jones and analyst Joe Lewis from Borthwick’s coaching staff over the past 18 months, providing them with insight into England’s strengths and weaknesses.
England’s opening match at the Rugby World Cup will be against Tonga in Brisbane, less than 16 months away.
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