Ex-England coach urges Steve Borthwick’s side to get on ‘right side’ of ‘small margins’ in quest for Six Nations glory
Mike Ford discusses England's Six Nations hopes.
Mike Ford admits the pressure is on the Red Rose to deliver in the Six Nations – but he believes they have the potential to win the Grand Slam.
Steve Borthwick’s men won just one of their four Test matches in November, beating Japan after losses against New Zealand, Australia and South Africa.
The Six Nations has therefore taken on added importance as England look to prove their critics wrong and deliver consistently on the big stage under Borthwick.
Pressure on
Ford worked on England’s coaching staff for five Six Nations campaigns and also at the 2007 and 2011 World Cups.
The former Bath boss, who also coached Ireland and the British and Irish Lions, told Planet Rugby: “There is always a pressure on England to do well, no matter what has happened previously.
“I had five Six Nations with England and it was the same every year.
“You could have won all the autumn internationals or lost them – the pressure was always on in the Six Nations.
“We did well in the 2007 World Cup and got to the final, but then the 2008 Six Nations came and the pressure was on.
“That’s because you’re England – the country who invented rugby, who get the biggest crowds and have the most amount of money to spend.
“Can this England win the Six Nations? Of course they can.
“They can win the Grand Slam, but if they don’t win their first game then the pressure builds and it’s France at home next up.”
England open their campaign away to defending champions Ireland in Dublin on Saturday before hosting France at Twickenham seven days later.
“It doesn’t get much tougher than Ireland away and then France at Twickenham,” admitted 59-year-old Ford.
“The last time France came to England in 2023, they put 53 points on us – a record score – and the first game of any Six Nations is always critical.
“Certainly if you lose your first two games then you can’t win the Six Nations.
“You can still win it if you lose your first match but you have to rely on the team who has just beaten you to lose a game.
“To go to Ireland and win – and then beat France at home – is tough but that’s the expectation for any England side.
“I expect both games to be really close and we need to start being on the right side of these close games.
“But the talent is there within the squad to win the tournament.
“If we get off to a good start, then all of a sudden momentum starts to build heading into the games against Scotland, Italy and Wales.
“This England team could win the Six Nations with a Grand Slam or finish third or fourth quite easily. It’s small margins.”
Ford has a vested interest in the England side with son George one of eight Sale Sharks players who have trained with Borthwick’s squad in Girona for their pre-Six Nations camp.
George has won 98 caps and is vying for the fly-half spot with Fin Smith and Marcus Smith.
At scrum-half, Bath captain Ben Spencer is back in the Red Rose squad and will compete with Sale’s Raffi Quirke and Harry Randall of Bristol Bears.
Northampton’s Alex Mitchell is currently injured and Ford, assessing the pecking order, reasoned: “I think it’ll be Randall and Spencer with Raffi sitting just behind them.
“But rugby is a sport where things can change so quickly.
“Someone could go over on their ankle in training and get injured, so as a player you just have to be ready to take your opportunity – whatever that looks like.
“When Martin Johnson was coaching England, he used to say ‘you just need to be ready’ and that’s a great mantra for any player to have.
“You could get thrown in at the last minute when you think you’re starting on the bench or you maybe think you’re not going to be involved at all.
“But you wouldn’t be worried if you had to start Raffi because he’s a confident player.”
Exciting times
Ford was on England’s coaching staff when they won the 2011 Six Nations and he is excited by what lies ahead in next few weeks.
“Every game in the Six Nations is a big occasion and is fantastic to be a part of,” he said.
“It’s the oldest rugby tournament in the world so it always feels like a big event.
“We won the Championship during my time with England, but we never won the Grand Slam and that’s always stuck with me.
“In 2011, we had basically won the Championship and we needed to win in Dublin in the final game to clinch the Grand Slam.
“But we lost and that was gut-wrenching. I remember a game in 2008 when we blew Wales away at Twickenham in the first 60 minutes.
“It was Warren Gatland’s first game as Wales coach and Shaun Edwards’ first game as defence coach.
“Then all of a sudden, we throw the ball back to clear, the kick got charged down and Wales scored back-to-back tries.
“We lost 26-19 and Wales ended up winning the Grand Slam that year.
“I look at games like that and think ‘if they hadn’t scored from that charge down, then it could have been us winning the Grand Slam’.
“It’s those games which stick in my mind the most and shows how fine the margins can be in the Six Nations.”
