Six Nations: England coach Steve Borthwick respond...

Steve Borthwick downplayed strategies from Eddie Jones that England have been wanting too far forward coming into the Six Nations. 

England are nursing the injuries of back-to-back defeats towards Scotland at Murrayfield and Eire at Twickenham, leaving them in a precarious place within the competitors.

It prompted England coach Jones to refer again to Borthwick’s feedback earlier than the event, when he set his sights on a final-day title decider towards France.

“On March 14 in Paris, we wish to be ready coming into that sport the place we are able to obtain what we’re all aiming to realize,” Borthwick stated in January.

Talking to the Rugby Unity podcast, Jones stated: “I will return to the beginning of the Six Nations. I assumed Steve made some very uncharacteristic feedback a couple of title‑decider towards France, wanting forward. Steve is essentially the most pragmatic and clever coach you may meet, however to look forward for any group is fraught with hazard.”

Borthwick stated on Wednesday he had not heard Jones’ feedback.

“I believe you understand how a lot respect I’ve for Eddie Jones,” Borthwick instructed Sky Sports activities Information. “Clearly, inside the camp right here, we have at all times been centered on the following sport in entrance of us.”

England’s efficiency on the weekend drew sturdy criticism as they have been crushed 42-21 by Eire in entrance of their house crowd, leaving them looking at an important encounter with Italy on the Stadio Olimpico on March 7.

One other gradual begin noticed them concede 22 factors within the first half-hour, having discovered themselves down 17-0 after simply quarter-hour towards Scotland.

“Fairly clearly we’re all bitterly disenchanted with the efficiency, the outcomes on Saturday,” stated Borthwick. “It is not the extent of efficiency we needed to place in. Clearly, we have been debriefing this totally and forthrightly to be clear on what we’ll enhance and focus our consideration upon.

“I believe that, definitely in the beginning of the sport, we had a variety of scoring alternatives within the opposition 22 that we didn’t take, and credit score to the opposition for defending so nicely. We should be higher.

“Check rugby, the possibilities you get, it’s important to take them. You need to be medical in these alternatives. Secondly, we turned over an excessive amount of ball and that places our defence in a susceptible place, defending from unstructured conditions.”

England’s defence have missed 53 tackles and allowed 73 factors over the past two outings, Borthwick pointing to the impression of his aspect’s turnover issues.

Borthwick additionally underlined the necessity for better depth having been overrun by Andy Farrell’s Eire.

“It is extra associated to the variety of balls we turned over,” Borthwick stated of points in defence. “If you happen to flip over a ball in unstructured conditions, you give groups like Eire a lot ball to assault from, they are often so medical.

“One of many hallmarks of this group over the past 12 to 18 months has been the persistently excessive depth with which the group operates. And I do not suppose that depth was fairly on the stage we needed it to be. And that is a pointy reminder that when you drop by one or two per cent at Check stage, then you definately get uncovered.”

It was confirmed on Wednesday that scrum-half Alex Mitchell has been dominated out for the rest of England’s Six Nations marketing campaign with a hamstring harm.

Jack van Poortvliet is anticipated to start out at scrum-half towards Italy, with Raffi Quirke referred to as up as a substitute.

“Sadly he will be out for a variety of weeks, which suggests he will not characteristic for us within the the rest of this championship,” stated Borthwick. “Ollie Lawrence is not within the squad for these couple of days, we have got him right here on this coaching week.

“He had seen a specialist yesterday round his knee and had an injection. We’ll be away from an image of him later this week, however hopefully he’ll be again very quickly.

“There’s additionally George Furbank who’s not with us, he is with Northampton this week, so he’ll play the sport for his membership aspect this weekend. Plenty of gamers began the week at their golf equipment, coaching with us within the latter a part of the week and can return to their golf equipment for sport time this weekend.”

England had entered their sport towards Scotland driving a 12-match profitable streak after opening their Six Nations marketing campaign in victory over Wales. Borthwick vowed to ship a response to their latest setbacks in Italy.

“Clearly there’s been a few moments early in video games that we have not taken alternatives and the opposition have,” he stated.

“And there is been a few sin bins in first halves which have put the group below a number of stress. And we have talked by means of these moments. There will be experiences for us that we ensure that are optimistic within the long-term improvement of this group.

“It is painful now, it is painful for me and for all of the gamers and all of the England supporters. We’ll ensure that we’re higher subsequent week in Rome.”