Anthony Watson has thrown his weight behind Steve Borthwick after the under-fire head coach was backed by the RFU to revive England’s fortunes, declaring: "He is absolutely the right man to lead England forward."
England lost four out of their five matches during this year’s Six Nations, including a first-ever loss to Italy, to mark their worst performance since the competition expanded to six teams in 2000. The dismal campaign, which also featured bruising defeats to Scotland and Ireland, came as a shock. England were enjoying an 11-match winning run prior to their first match against Wales, whom they beat comfortably to extend that run to 12.
Watson, who has worked with Borthwick with England and Leicester Tigers, insists sticking with his former coach is the correct decision and believes the 46-year-old would have resigned if he felt he couldn’t take the team forward.
"I fully back the decision," said Watson. "Steve is one of the most passionate coaches about English rugby. If he didn’t feel like he was right for the role, he’d be gone, he’s that type of person. Having worked with him and knowing him, his attention to detail and his care for that team is unmatched. Therefore, I feel like he is absolutely the right man to lead England forward."
England’s in-tray doesn’t get any easier in their bid to stop the rot as next up they travel to Ellis Park to take on world champions South Africa on 4 July in the inaugural edition of the Nations Championship. Fixtures at home to Fiji and away to Argentina then follow that titanic clash in Johannesburg before Australia, Japan and New Zealand await at home in November.
With the World Cup less than 18 months away, the next six months are a crucial period for England to re-establish themselves as a dominant force in world rugby. But Watson is of the belief that the country he represented 56 times remain a force to be reckoned with, regardless of their poor recent form.
"They’re a top team anyway, to be honest," the 2019 World Cup finalist said. "The Six Nations was a bit of a blip, which happens to all sports teams who are vying to be the top dog. This summer is going to be big, but we’ve still got a decent while until the World Cup. A year is a long time in sport."
Watson was speaking at the Deecon Consulting and Winged Boots Golf Day - raising money and awareness for the Ruth Strauss Foundation. The charity supports families, particularly those with young children where a parent is living with incurable cancer, helping them navigate difficult conversations and find the right words to tell their children so they can build understanding, connection and resilience together.
On Friday 5 June, Lord’s will once again be transformed into a sea of red as players, fans, and sponsors come together to raise vital funds for the Foundation and its work for the annual #RedforRuth Test match in memory of Ruth Strauss, the late wife of former England cricket captain Andrew Strauss and mother to two children, who passed away from a non-smoking related lung cancer aged just 46 in December 2018.
Watson added: "The thing that really hit home with me was how the Ruth Strauss Foundation help the families and the kids who experience something as unfortunate as having an ill parent or losing a parent. Having support in place for those kids is so important. For me, my passion was derived from seeing how Andrew has gone about his business and how he has used his platform to help others."
