Steve Borthwick ready to banish the ghosts of the Eddie Jones era
Steve Borthwick knows he cannot rewrite history but has vowed that his England side will show enough desire to win over those that booed them from the field two months ago.
England will begin their Six Nations campaign against Scotland precisely 10 weeks after a torrid 27-13 loss to South Africa. Jeers rang out at full-time and Eddie Jones was dismissed as head coach just over a week later.
Borthwick, who succeeded Jones in December, has continually stated that such a chastening experience will have hurt the players involved. He implored those at Twickenham to spur on his side.
“I ask them to be behind this team,” Borthwick said. “It's the first step right now, in this next chapter, of the England team. And I think this is a group of players that care so much about the England rugby team. I know I do, so I ask them to get behind this team and lift this team, as they always do.”
“Our players are determined to play with the fight, the commitment that our fans expect and deserve,” he added. “And we want to put in the best performance we possibly can.”
Borthwick’s first appearance at Twickenham as a player came in an England Under-16 international against Wales. He estimated this week that around 50 spectators were watching. Three decades on, having represented his country at senior level as a player and an assistant coach, Borthwick will oversee his first game as head coach in front of more than 80,000. “It means more than something,” admitted the 43-year-old.
“There will be mistakes on Saturday but I want the players fighting, the players getting to the next battle, the players bringing all the strengths they have into the England shirt on that pitch,” Borthwick said. “And I think that the players will show that fight and that determination. We want to make the supporters proud and want the players to be proud of the team.”
England will be aiming to improve a record of one win in the last five fixtures against Scotland, who two years ago triumphed at Twickenham for the first time since 1983.
“I know there’s a lot of England supporters who will be disappointed by that [record against Scotland],” Borthwick said. “I can’t rewrite history, neither can the players, all we can do is influence what is going to happen in the future.
“One of the things I’ve really worked hard with the players is not to keep going backwards and not to be too far forwards. It’s what the players deserve and what the supporters deserve because every game matters. That’s the mentality we are going into this game with.
“I’m sure they are going to come to Twickenham confident. They have come previously and kicked the ball and tried to play a very specific type of game plan against England. What will they bring this weekend? I don’t know. I am going to concentrate on what we’re going to bring and the players we have got.”
Among the most intriguing of the head-to-head clashes on the pitch will be Marcus Smith’s tussle with Finn Russell in a contest of creative fly-halves. Borthwick is backing his man.
“Clearly [Russell] is an incredible player who we have to prepare for but then there are some pretty good players in our team,” Borthwick said. “I’m looking forward to seeing how Marcus goes. I think these players have trained really well and I sense an excitement in them. I sense that determination in them.
“I sense that from that pain of seeing the players walking off the pitch with their heads down from not that long ago. I sense now players that are energised to get back out there.”
