The extraordinary ‘50 contestable kicks’ claim by England boss Steve Borthwick as he reveals his thinking about Wales’ game-plan under Steve Tandy
England coach Steve Borthwick talked about Wales' game plan during a trip to Edinburgh on Monday with Jamie George, inset
England boss Steve Borthwick has made an extraordinary prediction about the level of kicking struggling Wales could resort to when they visit Allianz Stadium.
Steve Tandy’s underwhelming Welsh side are due at Twickenham on February 7 for their Six Nations Round One encounter with Borthwick’s title-fancied hosts. England are currently on an 11-match winning run that is starkly contrasted by Wales losing 21 of their 23 most recent matches.
That rotten lack of success resulted in the WRU appointing Scottish assistant Tandy as the permanent successor to Warren Gatland, whose resignation last February resulted in Matt Sherratt taking control on an interim basis before agreeing to become attack coach under Tandy.
Wales recorded just a single win in their four November outings under their new head coach, a last-gasp penalty kick securing a clock-in-the-red, 24-23 victory over Eddie Jones’ Japan. Their other results, though, left much to be desired as they lost 52-28 to Argentina, 52-26 to New Zealand and 73-0 to South Africa.
‘He has come in, has implemented a plan…’
Those outcomes didn’t do much to inspire Welsh fans of improved fortunes with Tandy at the helm, and Borthwick has now made an astonishing claim about the game-plan his England team could be confronted with in London.
Wales kicked 26 times from the hand against the Pumas (17 short/tactical, nine long), 31 against the Japanese, 20 against the All Blacks (12 short/tactical, eight long) and 28 against the Springboks (21 short/tactical kicks, seven long).
But Borthwick, whose team enjoyed a record 68-14 win in Cardiff last March, has warned that the Welsh will kick even more in the Six Nations than in the autumn, suggesting his team could be faced by upwards of 50 contestable kicks at Twickenham.
Speaking to Virgin Media, the Irish TV broadcaster, at Monday’s tournament launch in Edinburgh, the England coach claimed: “We know that every England-Wales game I have ever been involved in and watched is a fierce encounter, always is.
“We know the passion that both teams have, the intensity of the rivalry the supporters have, and we have seen what Wales have been doing in the autumn, what they have done under Steve.
“He has come in, has implemented a plan, very clear at the start on two or three things. He has brought that defensive style he had at Scotland, tackling higher, trying to hold the ball in the air there.
“And they have brought this contestable kick game. Loads of contestable kicks. They come to Allianz Stadium a week on Saturday and could kick 50 kicks. They could kick 50 contestable kicks and say, ‘We are just going to kick it and we’re going to kick it again and we’re going to kick it again’. Now, whatever they bring, we are going to make sure we are prepared.”
Jamie George wants fines master gig as TikTok dance punishments await England players and coaches
Unbeaten at Test level since a Round One loss away to Ireland in last year’s Six Nations, England enter the 2026 tournament tipped by many as the favourites to win a first title since 2020.
Borthwick, who took over from Eddie Jones for the 2023 edition, has enjoyed the emergence of England from also-rans to title challengers. “We have a great blend,” he enthused, dwelling on the potential of his squad.
“You have seen players emerging, young exciting players full of talent… one of the most pleasing things about that is that when they are pulling the shirt on they are energised by the shirt, they are energised by the feeling that millions of England supporters are with them, right behind them and are bringing all the talent on to the pitch in an England shirt.
“That hasn’t always been the case, and what is really helping there is the example our senior players set. We are very blessed to have players like Ellis Genge, Jamie George, Maro Itoje, George Ford, Tom Curry who set a superb example of what it means to be an England player, of what it means to go and win Test match rugby.
“What’s really exciting is the way people talk about this team, the way England supporters talk about this team, the excitement they have for this tournament. For us, we know the Six Nations is packed full of quality teams, incredible superstars of the game playing for each and every team.
“We know that almost every Six Nations, the championship goes down to that last weekend. We play France in Paris on the last weekend, and we want to make sure we go into that last weekend with an opportunity to achieve what we want to achieve, be in a position to do that.
“But all that matters right now is the first game because you have got to get that step right and every step thereafter to get to where you want to be at the end.”
Noah Caluori names All Black idols growing up as he sets lofty World Cup and Lions goals
Borthwick added: “One of the most exciting parts about this team is the potential for growth is huge. I don’t think we are anywhere near maxing out the team yet. You look at the age profile, how many players we have got in the early, mid-20s who, as they play more Test match rugby, they are going to get better and better and better.
“Now, we spent the last period of time developing, finding a way to win tight games. We need to keep that strength. What we want to make sure is that these players go into each and every one of these Test matches ready to play big, to play fast, brave rugby and go in with the belief that they will find a way to win.”
Asked about the puzzle of selecting his best team from the squad of 36 named last week that has since increased to 37 with the addition of Jack Kenningham, Borthwick claimed: “It’s the kind of challenge you want as a coach.
“You want those tough, tough decisions around selection, the debates you have on that with coaches, the thoughts to understand what is right at that one point in time for any particular game, it’s a good position.
“I feel fortunate with the group of coaches we have got, the understanding, the collaboration, the debate, those are great conversations, exactly what you want to be part of in an elite, high-performance team.”
