Approaching 1am on Sunday morning, Jamie George stood in the bowels of the Stade de France and turned his attention to England’s daunting July Test against the Springboks.
‘Genuinely, I can’t wait. I wish it was next week,’ said the veteran hooker.
There are plenty of wounds to be licked before the squad fly out to Johannesburg. Pride has been dented by four consecutive defeats that consigned England to the worst Six Nations campaign in their history.
It is a record that will be pinned on Steve Borthwick for the foreseeable future. Irrespective of results or performances, the head coach is always going to have his critics. He will never capture his public’s hearts like a Jurgen Klopp or a Rassie Erasmus.
The RFU will be alarmed by the lack of public support for their man as chief executive Bill Sweeney begins the post-tournament review. Yet within the walls of the England camp, Saturday night’s Paris performance at least proved that he has the faith of his players.
England’s display was riddled with ill-discipline and defensive holes but the spirit shown by the players ensured Borthwick will lead the team to South Africa.
‘Look, South Africa haven’t played for 10 months,’ added George. ‘It’s very difficult for us to comment on where they’re at, but they are world-class. They’re the best team in the world. Johannesburg is a difficult place to play them. But what an amazing opportunity that we’ve got with a great group of players. Our set-piece is in a great spot. We’re going to be excited about that one.’
England suffering their worst-ever Six Nations campaign has put pressure on Steve Borthwick
Bill Sweeney will begin a post-tournament review amid a lack of public support for Borthwick
George is one of the most positive figures in the squad. He beamed with pride about the valiant French defeat but added a dose of realism that England’s fifth-place finish is nowhere near acceptable.
Later this month, after the review, Borthwick will travel to Argentina and Australia on reconnaissance missions for the Nations Championship and the World Cup. He booked the trips months ago, when confidence was high.
Recent weeks have provided a harsh reality check. At the beginning of the campaign, Borthwick reportedly pinned up media cuttings from reports in 2025 that suggested England’s 12-match winning run was down to their opponents’ shortfalls.
In essence, he thought England were better than they were given credit for. But this Championship has exposed huge flaws.
Here are five things the RFU should action before the summer tour.
- After finishing fifth in the 2018 Six Nations, Eddie Jones stopped England’s rot by refreshing his squad. Borthwick does not have many ageing players but he must fast-track Joe Marchant and Hoskins Sotutu into his summer plans. The pair move to Sale and Newcastle for next season but their eligibility should be immediate.
- Borthwick should ask the RFU to arrange a warm-up fixture before July’s Test against the Springboks. South Africa have already arranged a match against the Barbarians and if England go into the Johannesburg Test cold, then it could be a bloodbath.
- Sweeney needs to face the music and outline his coaching succession plan. What are the short, medium and long-term scenario plans? How secure is Borthwick’s job? What are they doing about planning for life beyond him?
- Maro Itoje’s gametime should be reviewed immediately. The skipper has had an exhausting year – physically and mentally – and he should be stood down from Saracens fixtures to ensure he is back to his best for the World Cup year.
- Use Saturday’s attacking performance as a blueprint for future tactics. England have the talent to beat opponents with speed and skill, so do not resort to kick-first policies. Questions must also be asked about the defence and poor discipline and whether the coaching team has the correct balance.
If result do not improve in the summer, the temperature will quickly rise. Borthwick is not out of the woods as far as the fans are concerned.
He pinned England’s shortcomings under the high ball on an injury to winger Immanuel Feyi-Waboso before the Wales game.
Eyebrows have been raised by PREM coaches about his overlooking of Max Ojomoh, who was man of the match in England’s final Test of the autumn but has been left out of training squads, watching the defeat by Ireland whilst on holiday.
Discipline has been woeful, with nine yellow cards and 55 penalties, but the head coach’s demeanour has rarely changed.
‘I’ve known Steve a long time and he’s always been very good at remaining calm when it’s needed,’ said George. ‘But he also gives a huge amount of clarity and makes it very clear what the standard is and what it’s not.
‘We’ve had some meetings where clips have been shown and voices have been raised, but off the back of it you get clarity and you understand what this England team is about. I want to stress that we are not comfortable with losing to Italy and France. But the two games that are hurting us in particular are Scotland and Ireland because of the performances we put in.
‘Steve made it very clear that wasn’t acceptable. He is one of the best coaches I’ve ever worked under. Under Steve, I think we will be right up there with the favourites to win the World Cup in 2027. We’re a great team, a great group of players and he’s the perfect person to take us there. I think he has been unbelievable for English rugby. I think it’s crazy what has been happening over the last few weeks and he is absolutely the right man to lead us forward for a long time. Because he’s an English coach who cares so much about this game, but he’s also a very, very good coach who has created an excellent programme.’
Borthwick’s public persona has remained consistent. At every midweek press conference, he makes a habit of commenting on the gathered journalists’ shoes before the questions begin. Even in defeat.
Borthwick remained committed to the cause and took little time out at last week’s camp in Verona, where he ventured into the old town for a bowl of pasta for some respite.
England forged a siege mentality, delivering a backs-to-the-walls display against the French when there was no trophy on the line. And even though they fell just short of victory thanks to Thomas Ramos’ nerveless late penalty, Borthwick is going nowhere for now. But his team must show they can deliver Saturday night’s performance on a weekly basis.
Joe Marchant is one of the names Borthwick should be looking to fast-track into the squad
Maro Itoje’s gametime should be reviewed after what has been an exhausting year for him
‘It would have been so easy for us to splinter off,’ George said. ‘I’ve been part of many teams that have and there have been whispers in corridors and doubts about the game plan and personnel. Honestly, there has been none of it. That’s what I’m proud of. We’ve been clear. We’ve been confident in the people that we have, staff and players, and we have stayed so tight.
‘It would have been so easy to say “I’m at Sarries next week. I’ll be thinking about that and will have one eye on that”. Everything was focused on the here and now and getting this team better. Our togetherness has been a huge strength of the team for 12-plus months.’
On the way out of the stadium on Sunday morning, England’s bus was caught in gridlock traffic on Rue Ambroise Croizat. The players eventually gathered for a beer at their exclusive Molitor Hotel where there was a chance to look ahead to the future.
With back-to-back world champions South Africa up next, one thing is certain – life is not going to get any easier for Borthwick and his players.