England great in sack warning to Steve Borthwick with ‘Andy Farrell-Shaun Edwards combination’ an ‘attractive’ proposition
England head coach Steve Borthwick and Ireland boss Andy Farrell.
Former England hooker Brian Moore believes that a poor defeat against South Africa could leave Steve Borthwick facing the sack.
The 45-year-old was brought in following the departure of Eddie Jones in 2022 and led them to the Rugby World Cup semi-final 10 months later, just losing out 16-15 to the Springboks in the last-four.
It was a good achievement considering the lack of preparation time but they have so far been unable to build on that run.
Despite beating Ireland in the subsequent Six Nations, they have since suffered agonising losses to France, New Zealand (three times) and Australia.
However, that defeat to a Wallabies side that have struggled over the past few years was seen as “unforgivable” by England captain Jamie George and it has increased the pressure on Borthwick.
While Moore has not called for the Red Rose boss to lose his job should they succumb to South Africa, the ex-front-rower insists that concerns will increase both inside and outside the Rugby Football Union (RFU).
Short-term over long-term trend
“England head coach Steve Borthwick might not like it but the current thinking around sports managers and coaches is short-term,” he wrote in his Telegraph column.
“Taking a long-term view has long gone and, as with its football equivalent, England’s top rugby job is subject to the full force of social, digital and traditional media speculation.
“I do not think it is overly dramatic to state that if England come badly unstuck against South Africa this Saturday Borthwick’s position will come under distinct pressure, even if the Rugby Football Union is still backing its man.”
England: Predicted team v Springboks as Steve Borthwick ‘pulls trigger’ after Wallabies debacle
England, with the exception of that Wallabies loss, have not played poorly in 2024, but they have evidently failed to correct the errors they keep producing late on in matches.
“The narrow successive losses against top-class opponents will be forgotten. Instead, the focus will shift to the stark fact of repeated defeats, suffered in depressingly similar circumstances,” Moore wrote.
“This goes beyond mere words, although phrases such as ‘learning lessons’ do not help. If every England player was learning lessons from defeat, there would be a number of PhD holders.”
Timing and possible replacements
Moore also wonders whether the timing is against the current England boss. If the RFU are going to make a change then it needs to be now otherwise they risk hampering the new head coach’s 2027 World Cup preparations, which is what happened to Borthwick two years ago.
“It is also a question of timing. We are into the second year after a World Cup and that mandates progress is made and, just as importantly, is seen to be made,” he added.
“What any union wants to avoid is having to make changes to the head coach less than two years before a World Cup. If that happens, as it has with England in the past, you have to give a new coach a contract that spans two World Cups because nobody who is any good will take the risk of being out of a job when they have had too short a time to effect necessary change.
“Borthwick’s position is also not made any more secure by the fact both Andy Farrell and Shaun Edwards have long appealed to England supporters after significant success with other nations.
“There is no guarantee that a Farrell-Edwards combination would be available before their contracts expire in 2027, nor that it would be a world-beating one for that matter, but you cannot deny its attraction to most England fans.”
