Steve Borthwick has dismissed criticism of England's kick-heavy approach after his side secured a first victory in Cardiff since 2017, with tries from Anthony Watson, Kyle Sinckler and Ollie Lawrence earning a 20-10 win over Wales in the Six Nations.
The win leaves England third in the table, but the margin would have been wider had Owen Farrell not missed 10 points from the tee. Watson conceded the match was “a grind”, with both sides making frequent use of the boot, but Borthwick insisted such tactics were a key part of modern Test rugby.
“The two teams who kicked more metres going into round three, I think, were France and Ireland,” he said. “They’ve kicked more metres than anybody else and they are the top two sides in the world. It’s part of the game, when you play against a team that has great line speed it’s sensible to consider all options.”
Farrell, meanwhile, felt the manner in which England closed out the game demonstrated their development. “I felt that the last 20 minutes was a real step forward for us,” he said. “It’s not all a matter of scoreboard, it’s about building pressure as well. We took control in that last 20 I thought.”
Wales briefly led after Louis Rees-Zammit’s intercept try but suffered a third straight championship defeat, a result that followed a turbulent fortnight featuring the threat of player strike action. Head coach Warren Gatland refused to use that disruption as an excuse, turning his focus to the crucial trip to Italy on 11 March. “The last thing you want to do is get a wooden spoon and that’s got to be our focus,” he said.
