Steve Borthwick’s job is in jeopardy – however do not count on England chiefs to ship something aside from a comfy, box-ticking evaluation of their head coach, writes CHRIS FOY

At instances like these, when the defeats are stacking up and the identical outdated issues are usually not being solved, regime change is usually raised and debated, referred to as for and thought of.

Let’s simply handle the elephant within the room immediately. Steve Borthwick is below main strain however there isn’t any indication in any respect that his job is in jeopardy. In a outcomes enterprise, England’s head coach isn’t producing the products, but nothing is pointing to an imminent, seismic upheaval.

Supporters are shedding hope and endurance, however their temper does not look like echoed within the corridors of energy.

There’s zero probability of the RFU hierarchy harshly marking their very own homework. All of it feels very cosy and supportive and secure. Boardroom unrest, if any exists, isn’t obvious past the partitions of the crumbling fortress at Twickenham. All is silent. 

They’d not break cowl in response to surprising revelations in Danny Care’s e book, so do not count on powerful speak in public about unacceptable outcomes.

In a outcomes enterprise, England’s head coach isn’t producing the products, but nothing is pointing to an imminent, seismic upheaval

Earlier than Eddie Jones was sacked, England’s 2022 autumn outcomes included a 52-13 win over Japan

A pleasant, neat evaluation will occur on the finish of this month. Everybody will probably be consulted, everybody will say a breakthrough is imminent and everybody will congratulate one another for a peaceful, measured evaluation of the proof and the conclusion that every little thing is pink rosy. Nothing to see right here.

What precisely are the performance-related expectations of the union’s board? They do not prefer to disclose such issues in case it removes their wiggle room. No matter they’re, they would come with the flexibility to place away the group mendacity ninth within the World Rugby rankings at dwelling.

Earlier than Eddie Jones was sacked, England’s 2022 autumn outcomes have been a one-point defeat in opposition to Argentina, a 52-13 win over Japan, a dramatic 25-25 fightback draw with the All Blacks and a 27-13 give up to South Africa.

Months earlier, they’d claimed a 2-1 collection win Down Beneath. However Invoice Sweeney and the remainder of the RFU fits had misplaced religion within the Australian following one other dire Six Nations marketing campaign earlier within the yr.

In 2024, below Borthwick, England have misplaced two out of three Checks on tour and now, with the world-champion Springboks rumbling ominously their means, the nationwide group are going through as much as the grim menace of three straight autumn losses, earlier than a house banker versus Jones’s Japan.

Borthwick has a 50 per cent win document. Beating Eire by one level earlier this yr stays the one assertion win in opposition to a higher-ranked facet. Towards France, England have misplaced two out of two. It has been the identical return in opposition to Scotland. 

All three clashes with New Zealand have gone in opposition to them, as has the one so far in opposition to South Africa. They misplaced at dwelling to Fiji and virtually suffered the identical calamity in Marseille, within the World Cup quarter-final. They scraped to victory in opposition to Samoa.

This isn’t an agenda in opposition to a devoted, hard-working man. By no means. These are simply information.

Months earlier, they’d claimed a 2-1 collection win Down Beneath however RFU had already misplaced religion in Jones

England have misplaced two out of three Checks on tour and world-champions South Africa at the moment are rumbling ominously their means

This is not Premier League soccer; no one is screaming for sackings on the first signal of bother, not in these pages or wherever else. Persistence is known as for, some leeway, some slack. However how a lot is it acceptable for the RFU to supply? 

They are going to be rising mighty weary of watching the nation’s flagship group having their pants pulled down in their very own enviornment, in entrance of their very own folks.

France caught greater than 50 on England at Twickenham final yr and now the Wallabies — cannon fodder within the Rugby Championship — have scored 5 tries and 42 factors to inflict a fifth defeat in six video games on Borthwick’s stuttering facet.

Jamie George, the dejected captain and an ultra-honest realist, mentioned it was ‘unacceptable’ to let guests rack up such an enormous rating. Fairly proper.

What occurred to the massive upturn? Jones launched his tenure with a world record-equalling run of victories. It took him greater than 5 years to document his thirteenth loss accountable for England. It has taken Borthwick 26 matches and fewer than two years.

Joe Schmidt is popping Australia round; the event is obvious and indeniable. Earlier than him, within the house of a yr, Michael Cheika remodeled the Wallabies from a rabble to 2015 World Cup finalists. 

Felipe Contepomi is quickly making his mark with Argentina, who’ve simply put 50 factors on Italy. New regimes typically have a profound affect, however Borthwick got here in at an ungainly time and there was no rocket-launch impact.

One more sport has slipped away from England. They have been imperious in establishing a 15-3 lead however stopped taking part in. It went from energy and tempo to sluggish it down and kick. English toes have been lifted off Wallaby throats.

Beating Eire by one level earlier this yr stays the one assertion win in opposition to a higher-ranked facet

All three clashes with New Zealand have gone in opposition to them below Borthwick

The hosts invited bother and it duly arrived. Why are the identical faults so commonly occurring? Momentum and composure have been misplaced but once more.

There was a Groundhog Day really feel to the post-match debrief after the hosts had didn’t put away stricken rivals for a second successive weekend.

As a substitute of a last-quarter collapse, this time they fell asleep on the wheel in quarters two and three earlier than hitting the accelerator once more in a panic. Between minutes 20 and 57, the house facet scored simply three factors and conceded 25. An inexplicable drift.

Borthwick tried to elucidate it as a time when his group went off script and have become too free. But it surely was exactly due to Marcus Smith’s sparky, instinctive brilliance that England virtually discovered a means out of the opening they’d dug themselves.

There was an instructive distinction between discuss ‘construction’ and ‘framework’ from the house camp, whereas the jubilant victors revelled within the ‘freedom’ to again their abilities.

And what abilities they’d. The Wallabies produced gorgeous operating rugby. This was a efficiency which not solely saved their yr, it additionally saved the Lions tour. So dazzling, daring and harmful have been Schmidt’s group that they’ll have ignited anticipation for that epic occasion subsequent summer time, on either side of the equator.

On this proof, they need to a minimum of threaten Britain and Eire’s best, particularly if they’re able to add the monstrous Will Skelton and Samu Kerevi to the combo, together with the heroes of this well-known upset.

It will not be a lot of a comfort to England, however they have been concerned in a pulsating basic. This was rugby as a department of the leisure business. When it appears like this, what a sport we’ve. For as soon as, those that shelled out three-figure sums for tickets could have been left satisfied that they have been a cut price.

Jamie George, the dejected captain and an ultra-honest realist, mentioned it was ‘unacceptable’ to let guests rack up such an enormous rating. Fairly proper

It was thunderous and wonderful, bonkers and sensible. It’s onerous to recall many extra fascinating Checks at Twickenham. The place was bouncing. Fantastic.

It was additionally the day a brand new star illuminated an outdated sporting rivalry. Joseph-Aukuso Sua’ali’i delivered a union debut from the sporting heavens, following his change from rugby league.

The delicate shift which mounted and flummoxed Ollie Sleightholme led to an attention-grabbing help, his passing was assorted and slick, and his aerial presence wrought havoc, proper to the tip when it earned the Wallabies one final shot at glory, which they took so nicely, for a profitable strive completed with a flourish by Max Jorgensen.

If solely that final restart had not gone the way in which of so many others, England would have been in a position to get pleasure from a problem-solving triumph, after Maro Itoje had touched down seconds earlier from a determined drive for redemption. As a substitute, Australia snatched all of it away once more.

The house defence was savagely uncovered by the Wallabies’ slick footwork and offloading. The lack of Felix Jones is being keenly felt. Joe El Abd is racing to impose himself and his model of the blitz technique, however to say there are teething issues is a evident understatement.

Amid all of the angst about one other avoidable setback, there have been vivid spots. Chandler Cunningham-South was a two-try drive of nature, Ollie Lawrence was far more concerned as a gainline weapon, Smith’s intelligent, deft kicks and chips labored wonders, and the primary English strive was an excellent strike. 

The dealing with from George — who was magnificent within the preliminary onslaught — Ellis Genge, Tom Curry and Ben Earl was merely excellent. It was a showcase of group fluency, cohesion and ability.

However to fall away so badly was alarming. There’s an inescapable sense that one thing simply is not proper. If there is not a dramatic turnaround within the coming days, England seem doomed to a different ordeal subsequent weekend, which ought to immediate a tricky post-campaign evaluation, not a comfy, box-ticking train. 

It was exactly due to Marcus Smith’s sparky, instinctive brilliance that England virtually discovered a means out of the opening they’d dug themselves

And no matter conclusions the RFU attain needs to be printed for all to see.

The general public are funding their nationwide group by paying a fairly penny for tickets and shirts, over-priced beers and varied TV subscriptions, so they’re fairly entitled to learn about how it’s being run and why it’s falling a good distance wanting all cheap expectations.

Sua’ali’i goes to earn a fortune

Suaalii has change into an prompt icon. That was his first sport {of professional} rugby union and he made it seem like a stroll within the park. Think about how good he will probably be when he is correctly settled in. 

The cross-code rookie is blessed with freakish bodily attributes and is already destined to be a poster-boy for the Lions tour of Australia subsequent summer time, then the World Cup in 2027 Down Beneath. He appears humble but additionally armed with formidable self-belief. 

Requested after Saturday’s sport whether or not he had any nerves or apprehension in any respect, provided that he was being thrown in on the deep finish, he was bemused by the very notion. He was additionally completely unfazed by the relentless fanfare about him again at dwelling. 

This is a prediction which does not require a crystal ball; Sua’ali’i goes to earn a fortune. Sponsors will probably be jostling to advertise him. His arrival is not only excellent news for the Wallabies, it’s excellent news for the entire sport. 

Sua’ali’i has change into an prompt icon. That was his first sport {of professional} rugby union and he made it seem like a stroll within the park

The cross-code rookie is blessed with freakish bodily attributes and is already destined to be a poster-boy for the Lions tour of Australia subsequent summer time

Final phrase 

Ben O’Keeffe’s failure to cease the sport at Twickenham after seeing Tom Curry mendacity unconscious on the pitch through the first half has led to comprehensible outrage. 

This column has no want to incite criticism of referees, who’ve a fiendishly troublesome, pressurised job to do, however on this case the Kiwi was at fault for not halting the competition quicker to permit England’s stricken flanker to be handled and assessed by medics. 

It took an intervention by Australia’s Rob Valetini – whose knee had made contact, by chance, with Curry’s head as he carried into contact – to drive O’Keeffe to blow the whistle, so the Sale openside may obtain pressing assist. Replays confirmed the official look down at Curry, who was mendacity immobile, earlier than shifting on. 

Rugby is desperately striving to fight the spectre of head trauma, so such a response to an unlucky incident isn’t acceptable. Apart from that aberration, O’Keeffe ran proceedings nicely and needs to be recommended for persistently clamping down on time-wasting, in keeping with welcome new directives.