England have had a bad autumn and a disappointing year, so there is now a sense of urgency to spark a major revival.
Steve Borthwick was given some breathing room when Japan were stabbed to conclude the campaign, but the pressure on his regime will be suffocated again if the Six Nations opener against Ireland in Dublin on February 1 goes badly wrong. It will.
It won’t get any easier after that when a free-flowing French side and a Scottish side who haven’t lost to England since before the coronavirus lockdown come to Twickenham.
Beating Italy in the fourth round won’t be as easy as it was before the Championship wraps up in Cardiff on March 15.
So what needs to be done over the next two months to prevent England’s slide from turning into a slump? Here, Mail Sport takes a quick look at eight key issues and how to fix them.
map
This is a tricky subject, but Borthwick will understand the need for a captaincy succession plan. Jamie George is currently 34 years old and will turn 37 during the next World Cup. If the manager expects a hooker to pass the baton to a junior in this four-year cycle, it is important that things don’t drift for too long.
If he can get fit and stay fit, a new contender may emerge: Ollie Chessum. The Leicester forwards should be in the starting XV, either on the lock or blind side. He can play the full 80 minutes, is a smart player and has strong communication skills.
Maro Itoje has the air of auditioning for a role, but it might be best to let him focus on becoming his best individual asset.
Steve Borthwick has a lot to think about ahead of the Six Nations early next year.
England have endured a difficult autumn and a disappointing year overall under Borthwick.
Finding a new leader to succeed 34-year-old captain Jamie George is a top priority.
Ellis Genge is another basic option. He has settled into England’s No. 1 shirt again and has the pedigree to lead Leicester to the Premiership title.
But in theory, there is something to be said for appointing a relatively young authority figure like the 24-year-old Chesum and giving him a decade to make the job his own.
Continuity helps create a clear identity for your team, which in turn helps you pursue improvement.
select
Improved status in the absence of some players. Chessum is one and Northampton scrumhalf Alex Mitchell is another. Both should return to the first choice XV against Ireland.
This column warrants a Marcus Smith-Ollie Lawrence 10-12 axis if the pair is allowed time to align instinctively. But now may be the time to give outside center Henry Slade a challenge.
Having recalled him to the training squad, it would make sense to give Saracens’ Alex Lozowski a chance as a playmaker number 13. The RFU should also move heaven and earth to bring Joe Marchant back from Paris.
When the Chessum starts, Chandler Cunningham-South could serve as an explosive shock submarine. The same can be said about Tom Willis, a powerful No.8 who could keep Ben Earl on his toes or ultimately force Borthwick to reassign him.
It would also be nice to see Bristol Flyer Gabriel Ibitoye involved to add an unorthodox X-factor running threat.
Northampton Saints scrumhalf Alex Mitchell’s status has improved during his absence.
The same can be said about England and Leicester Tigers’ injured lock Ollie Chessum.
foreign policy
Marchant is not the only one who could strengthen the England team if selected again.
The likes of Jack Willis, Henry Arundell and Junior Kpoku fall into that category, with the latter rookie receiving national honors if he were allowed to go into exile in France during his time with Racing 92 in Paris. It would have been an insult to .
The RFU’s policy of not selecting players from foreign clubs includes an exceptional circumstances clause. Well, England are 7th in the world and most of their clubs are experiencing serious financial difficulties. That means you can’t spend a lot of money on recruiting. What about exceptions?
Willis would add too much disruption leverage. Britain can do some of that right now.
drop the offensive
A defensive approach doesn’t work. The rush to hire him now allows Joe El-Abd to set a framework that works for him and the team rather than simply trying to take over whenever he next steps away from his duties at French club Oyonnax. It’s time to do it. To collaborate with other people’s high-risk systems.
Felix Jones is not returning, and without him the desperate quest for extreme line speed falls apart. It’s too foreign for so many squads operating within different systems at the club.
We may think long-term ahead of the World Cup, but now is not the time to rush, make dog legs, and tear things apart as we please.
Now is the time to allow defensive coach Joe El-Abd to set a framework that works for him and his team.
fit for purpose
England need a suitable replacement for Welsh fitness expert Aled Walters, who has decided to join Ireland.
The fitness anxiety associated with high-intensity offenses means this has become a priority to prevent last-quarter fades, which have been a recurring theme.
With Phil Morrow unable to be dispatched from Saracens due to conflict of interest issues, Borthwick and the RFU will soon have to narrow their search for someone else.
Whoever comes in will need time to figure out how much control they can exert over the terms of the new club-country PGP agreement. Like everything else in English rugby, this is a complex puzzle.
tidy up
There are still too many instances where England appear to be strictly following scripts and norms.
While there were flashes of instinctive brilliance, there were also autumn periods when Borthwick’s side seemed obsessed with following programmed orders.
Coaches need to step back and breathe a little. Don’t cram a ton of detail into every waking moment at camp.
We need to trust our players to adopt a prepared-and-immediate approach more often, and if they can’t do that, find someone else who can.
England need to be freed from the shackles as there have been times when their play has looked too scripted.
Borthwick’s side appeared obsessed with following their programmed orders too often during the Autumn Nations clash.
Send for backup
There is still a compelling argument to be made for adding someone with real gravitas to the England hierarchy, a key rugby figure who will act as a sounding board for Borthwick and provide support.
Inexperienced coaching staff can sometimes feel nervous leading up to a big event, so it may be helpful to have someone else in the background or sometimes at the front of house when needed.
They should try to talk to Martin Johnson. That won’t happen. But it will have a tremendous impact and will put the fear of God in other nations.
strengthen leg
More England A games in addition to the game planned against Ireland in February would help. These matches are invaluable as they serve as a bridge between club rugby and the Test arena.
Fin Baxter and Asher Opoku-Fordjour were integrated into the senior set-up after playing in the second string.
Next, Borthwick will want to find a way to fast-track giant Afolabi Fasogbon and fellow England Under-20 player Billy Sela as well.
That way, after nearly 15 years of serving his country, he finally won’t have to use Dan Cole as a crutch.
England must convince Martin Johnson to act as a sounding board.
Etzebeth and Erasmus must feel they have had a hard time
World Rugby’s annual awards tend to polarize opinion, but this year there was widespread consensus that they were wrong. Anyway, it’s one of two things.
All Blacks flanker Wallace Sititi was named Breakthrough Player of the Year – a decision the judges were undoubtedly right.
But top credit did not go to the most deserving candidate. Pieter-Steph du Toit was named Player of the Year for the second time and he was outstanding as usual, but he, like everyone else in the sport, will live in the massive shadow of Eben Etzebeth in 2024.
The Springbok lock has been downright arrogant all year and the fact that he has been overlooked is as tragic as Rassie Erasmus (the master of South Africa’s global supremacy) losing out to Jerome Daret in the Coach of the Year category.
The Frenchman was at the forefront of a Sevens campaign that won Gallia gold at the home Olympics, but once Antoine Dupont was on board he could just sit back and enjoy the show.
Erasmus may feel that he has been put through too much trouble to care. This is ample evidence that the whole event was a spectacular farce, especially since no props were nominated for the Player of the Year award.
Twickenham chaos is smoke
Twickenham now has a title sponsor willing to pay big money to be associated with the iconic sporting venue. But it would be completely understandable if they wanted to distance themselves from the chaos and confusion outside the walls of the National Stadium.
In their wisdom, the RFU has not chosen to develop new homes on more suitable green spaces in the Midlands. This area would have had better access nationally.
Eben Etzebeth should have been awarded World Rugby’s Player of the Year award but lost out to his team-mate.
So instead, the whole country is stuck in the logistical nightmare of trying to get in and out of a congested residential area in south-west London with infrastructure that is not fit for purpose.
Ahead of the England v Japan match, trains and nearby stations were dangerously crowded, and anyone hoping to escape by train from Twickenham after the match would have to contend with kettling and shuffling bumps to reach the platform.
Roads are closed and the area is congested. Considering that level of matchday hassle and exorbitant ticket prices, it’s no wonder so many people refused to enter outright…
last words
It was a dark November for Wales, but not for all Welsh people. Scotland’s 27-13 win over a resurgent Australia had Steve Tandy’s fingerprints all over it.
The former Ospreys player and coach earned an outstanding reputation as part of Gregor Townsend’s management team following his time with the Waratahs in Sydney, and this win should go down as one of his finest hour.
Australia ran wild against England and Wales but could not break the shackles in the faces of the determined, defiant and swarming Scots. Wallabies full-back Tom Wright was free for Twickenham and Cardiff but was firmly shut out.
Time and again the Scots made heroic sorties and held the line when it seemed they would collapse.
Tandy will no doubt be in demand for another tour as the Lions’ defensive specialist to be involved again in 2021.
And with Warren Gatland leaving as Wales manager, Tandy is seen as a strong local candidate to fill the void.
