England were beaten 29-23 by Scotland in their Six Nations opener before defeating Italy 31-14 on Sunday; Steve Borthwick wants to eradicate issues ahead of matches against Wales, Ireland and France ahead of the World Cup later this year
Last Updated: 13/02/23 11:23pm
Steve Borthwick has led England to one victory and one defeat from his first two matches
Steve Borthwick is to urgently investigate England’s habit of fading that has been evident in his two matches in charge, knowing it could leave his players with regrets.
England threw away a 20-12 lead with half an hour remaining of their Guinness Six Nations opener against Scotland and were also one point in front heading into the final 10 minutes, before ultimately falling 29-23.
Borthwick’s side also lost the second half 14-12 against Italy, with tension hanging in the Twickenham air until Henry Arundell produced a slick finish in the 71st minute to quell the Azzurri uprising.
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England head coach Steve Borthwick speaks after his side beat Italy at Twickenham in the Six Nations
England head coach Steve Borthwick speaks after his side beat Italy at Twickenham in the Six Nations
England face a fraught trip to Cardiff next followed by clashes with the world’s two best teams in France and Ireland, with Borthwick making a priority of identifying why they are vulnerable in the second half.
“At eight points up I would expect to win that game against Scotland, said Borthwick, who replaced the sacked Eddie Jones in December. “There was another point we were four points up and we let it slip.
“As we move forward with this team, as we coach and understand, we will be debriefing those things really fully so we don’t let those opportunities slide. You can’t rewind the clock. I talked about my regrets …