The RFU CEO Bill Sweeney has issued his backing to England men’s head coach Steve Borthwick but says they will collectively be seeking answers for this loss of form which has seen them lose three matches on the bounce in the Six Nations, including their first ever loss to Italy on Saturday.
Sweeney admits the team has been “unable to meet the expectations” in this Six Nations, but the RFU remains “fully committed to supporting [the coaching staff] and the players”.
England came into the Six Nations in impressive form and started the championship with a comfortable triumph over Wales, their 12th win in a row. England were regarded as title challengers but then came a 31-20 defeat at Murrayfield to Scotland, a comprehensive loss to Ireland at Twickenham and on Saturday, they fell 23-18 to Italy in Rome, Italy’s first win in 33 attempts. England finish their campaign with a trip to Paris on Saturday, looking to avoid their worst ever Six Nations finish.
“After a 12-match winning run, these past three results have been hugely disappointing, and we feel that just as much as everyone else,” Sweeney said. “Steve and his coaching team are working tirelessly to make improvements, and we remain fully committed to supporting them and the players as they face France this weekend and then look ahead to the Nations Championship.
“Part of that support is being open about what hasn’t gone right during this Six Nations and making sure everyone has a clear sense of how we move through those challenges together. That’s something we’ll be talking through and working on in the days and weeks ahead.
“We will work together to understand and rectify why we have been unable to meet the expectations and anticipation going into these games.
“England fans rightly expect a team that learns and grows through adversity, and we’re confident this group will do everything they can to deliver that.
Borthwick was in resolute mood post-match on Saturday in Rome and said he was “absolutely” the right man to lead this team into the 2027 Rugby World Cup. “The RFU, myself, Conor O’Shea and Bill Sweeney we speak regularly and discuss the vision of the team going forward,” Borthwick said.
Borthwick took charge of England back in Dec. 2022 after the RFU dismissed Eddie Jones. Borthwick led them to the semifinal of the 2023 Rugby World Cup and to this 12-match winning run, which included a win over the All Blacks in November. But since then England’s form has fallen apart.
“We know the team have accelerated development over the last 12 months and also understanding that right now in this Six Nations there are going to be some tough challenges ahead and clearly we have not got results in those challenges we have wanted them to be,” Borthwick added. “We have been very clear in the communication about the long-term vision of this England team.
“The team’s growth in the last 12 months has been very, very strong and you can see the vision of where the team is going to be and you see the players coming through. Right now this is a tough period but what we will do is learn from it and make sure we are stronger going forward.”
Moments after the final whistle in Rome, captain Maro Itoje said: “We just have to stay together. We are going through a tough period, and when you are in a period like this, you see the characters of the team.
“We don’t want to be in this position, and we are very disappointed that we are. We haven’t performed to the level we wanted to, so we have to work and own it. There’s nothing else to do other than get back to work.”
England travel to France on Saturday and their next match will be against reigning World Cup champions South Africa in Johannesburg on July 4.
