England head coach Steve Borthwick expressed his frustration after his side slumped to their worst Six Nations defeat since 2023, losing to Ireland at Twickenham. 'Bitterly disappointed' with another slow start, Borthwick said his team were 'leaving ourselves a mountain to climb' against quality opposition.
England conceded too many early points and turned over possession too often, allowing Ireland to build a commanding lead. Borthwick insisted the squad must take collective responsibility, but defended fly-half George Ford, who was jeered after poor kicking decisions. 'George has done so much good for England,' he said.
Ellis Genge admitted the team had 'let everyone down', saying: 'We probably believed the hype from the first week too much. We have to be better at managing that period and stop turning the ball over.' Captain Maro Itoje echoed the sentiment, citing a lack of accuracy at the breakdown and in attack.
In contrast, Ireland's Dan Sheehan hailed the performance as 'one of the best we've ever had', crediting head coach Andy Farrell for instilling belief. 'If we get our systems right, we have a plan to beat anyone,' he said.
