Eddie Jones Blames Borthwick's Title Talk for England's Six Nations Slump
Former England head coach Eddie Jones has pointed the finger at Steve Borthwick's overconfidence, suggesting that premature talk of a title decider against France contributed significantly to England's dramatic collapse in the Six Nations championship.
Successive emphatic defeats to Scotland and Ireland have undone the progress made during a 12-Test winning run, turning the round-four appointment against Italy in Rome on 7 March into a game England dare not lose.
Uncharacteristic Comments and Psychological Impact
Jones, who served as England head coach from 2016 to 2022, questions whether the Rugby Football Union might have influenced Borthwick's remarks. "I thought Steve made some very uncharacteristic comments about a title-decider against France, looking ahead," Jones told the Rugby Unity podcast. "Steve is the most pragmatic and intelligent coach you could meet, but to look ahead for any team is fraught with danger. We all know that."
He speculated that external pressures could have played a role. "Sometimes the pressure comes so that the union, the RFU, wants to hear more. They want to entice the fans because they're all hungry for money so they want fans support. So be bold, come out – someone has told him to do that."
Jones emphasised the psychological ripple effect such statements can have. "The players read everything, the wives read everything, the girlfriends read everything, the boyfriends read everything, they all read it. They hear that and they talk to them and they say: 'We've got to get our tickets for France. Where are we staying? Where are we going to go the night before for dinner?' All of that happens and the slight psychological change you get in the team because of that, they start to look ahead."
The Scotland Defeat and Its Lingering Effects
Jones insists that the 31-20 mauling at Murrayfield, in which England conceded an early 17-0 deficit, left a mental scar that was carried into the five-try rout by Ireland. "They got caught on the hop against Scotland. The Scotland game against Wales shows that they were just caught on the hop," Jones said. "That was a one-off, but now that one-off has crept into their psyche. They're disappointed about where they are and they're all feeling a bit threatened now. How do you change it around? It takes leadership on and off the field."
Upcoming Challenges and Italian Setback
England next travel to Italy, a game that has increased significance and pressure after the past two defeats before the finale against France. However, they will face a team shorn of one of its attacking talents, after the Italian Rugby Federation announced that Ange Capuozzo will miss the remainder of the Six Nations following a serious shoulder injury against France at the weekend.
Capuozzo scored Italy's only try in the 33-8 defeat in Lille but came off worst when tackled 10 minutes from time by club teammate Anthony Jelonch. The 26-year-old's absence from the field combined with a yellow card for Louis Lynagh meant Italy played the last few minutes with just 13 men. Sunday's match was Capuozzo's first since 28 December when he broke a finger playing against La Rochelle.
This scenario is a far cry from the one Borthwick envisioned when naming his Six Nations squad last month, highlighting the unpredictable nature of international rugby and the perils of looking too far ahead.
