Progress or standing still – where are England under Borthwick?

Progress or standing still: England's Direction Under Borthwick: Advancing or Stagnating? Ninoda.com – As the 2027 Rugby World Cup approaches, questions

England’s Direction Under Borthwick: Advancing or Stagnating?

Ninoda.com – As the 2027 Rugby World Cup approaches, questions persist regarding England’s trajectory under Steve Borthwick. The head coach received backing from the Rugby Football Union in May, coming after the nation’s poorest Six Nations showing since the competition expanded in 2000. With merely a single triumph in that tournament, a heavy loss to reigning world champions South Africa at Ellis Park carried limited significance—provided victories materialized against Fiji and Argentina subsequently.

Those results arrived, though narrowly. Borthwick’s squad finished a demanding summer campaign encompassing over 25,000 miles of travel. Yet the central inquiry remains: do these Nations Championship outcomes signal genuine improvement?

Discipline Concerns Persist

Ill-discipline emerged as a critical weakness flagged by the RFU. England accumulated the most disciplinary cards of any side in a Six Nations since Italy in 2002, collecting eight yellows alongside two additional yellows that merged into a red. Unfortunately, this issue has not resolved itself.

“I don’t think now is the time to be digging into that,” Borthwick remarked following the Santiago del Estero victory.

Former scrum-half Matt Dawson characterized England’s conduct as “verging on comical” after yellow card totals reached 14 for the calendar year. The contentious 31-24 triumph over Argentina featured considerable chaos and what critics termed “comedy refereering.”

When might the appropriate moment arrive to address these matters? The emphatic 73-8 victory over Fiji in Liverpool halted a five-match losing streak and stood as the sole fixture this year where England avoided a yellow card entirely.

“It is the same stuff. It is not thuggish behaviour or violence,” noted former England scrum-half Danny Care on BBC’s Rugby Union Weekly. “It is the little ones that you do not get away with under pressure, and pressure makes you do silly things.”

Care highlighted that across eight 2026 matches, Borthwick’s team spent more than two hours without a complete lineup on the field. He emphasized that senior players and coaches bear substantial responsibility for curbing these issues, as Test victories against elite opposition require such attention.

Attacking Patterns and Individual Brilliance

England kicked the ball more frequently than any other Six Nations participant. Their side also achieved the second-highest count of entries into the opposition 22 during the tournament, yet averaged just 2.7 points per visit. Only Italy posted a inferior average at 1.6 points, prompting the RFU to demand greater attacking sharpness this summer.

Lee Blackett’s attacking approach showed promise against South Africa in certain periods. However, it appeared most compelling during the opening half against Argentina.

“That first half was brilliant. England dominated, commanded and controlled everything,” stated former England wing Ugo Monye.

Three first-half tries came in a challenging environment, with wingers Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso—absent from this year’s Six Nations due to injury—demonstrating consistent threat throughout. Feyi-Waboso, aged 23, emerged as the standout performer.

From twelve carries, he evaded thirteen defenders, covered 116 metres, and executed four line breaks. His significance became evident when he started all four November Tests, contributing to England’s twelve-match winning sequence.

Managing Key Players Going Forward

Fitness has historically troubled Feyi-Waboso, and England must handle both him and Freeman—whose wing appearances have proven more dangerous than his number 13 role—carefully over the coming year.

“That [Argentina] was Manny’s [Feyi-Waboso] best game for England,” Monye observed. “I don’t know why it has taken England so long. Their gameplan to get him [Feyi-Waboso] into the game is everything that Northampton do with Tommy Freeman to get him into the game.”

Tommy Freeman and Guy Pepper both received sin-bin penalties during the South Africa encounter. Meanwhile, England tallied 125 points in July—a figure boosted by Fiji’s absence and playing a half with fourteen players.

Borthwick, typically measured in media interactions, displayed uncommon sharpness during his post-match comments. Argentina’s head coach also criticized England for perceived disrespect, adding another layer to the narrative surrounding this summer’s performances.

The path forward requires England to address disciplinary issues while maximizing the potential of emerging talents like Feyi-Waboso and Freeman as they prepare for the challenges ahead.