Dropping Marcus Smith to the bench to pick a 32-year-old at full-back hardly screams progression, especially when you consider that Elliot Daly last wore the England 15 shirt in the autumn of 2020. But there is plenty of evidence to suggest that Steve Borthwick is future-proofing his team.
Two years into his tenure, he has stopped gesturing towards his rear-view mirror to emphasise what he inherited from Eddie Jones. At least publicly, sentiment seems to have softened from 2023, when Borthwick made the pointed assertion that England “weren’t good at anything” when he took over.
Every now and then, as if he knows people do not want to hear it, Borthwick will reiterate that his team is a “new” one. With that in mind, the sight of Daly will jar. However, in the absence of George Furbank, it is probably the best way to rebalance the back line and allow England to play with width without presenting Italy with an opportunity to boss the kicking exchanges.
Fraser Dingwall, one of 15 players to have made their Test debuts under Borthwick, replaces Henry Slade in a move that heightens the Northampton Saints synergy. It has a whiff of common sense. From the 23 to face Italy, seven players have been introduced to the top level by Borthwick. Five others, headlined by Ben Earl and Ollie Lawrence, have been reintegrated to the side, having been on the periphery or further away under when Jones was in charge.
Borthwick does throw genuinely bold curveballs, such as starting Marcus Smith at full-back in a World Cup quarter-final against Fiji, or picking a three-openside back row, yet has generally aimed to make regular tweaks while keeping together a core group of players.
This can frustrate fans, especially when ideas do not seem clear or look to have changed quickly. Alex Mitchell shooting from surplus to first choice at the last World Cup is a prime example.
Consistency with the wider squad is Borthwick’s way of distinguishing himself from Jones. As various autobiographies have testified, the latter was regarded as somewhat volatile and slapdash by 2022. That said, Borthwick is also overhauling this England side at a decent rate. He has needed to.
England’s pathway system was rocked in 2018 by the purge of John Fletcher and Peter Walton, a pair of popular and prolific age-grade coaches. Many would point out that funding was cut to the Championship around the same period, potentially reducing development opportunities and allowing Premiership teams to “warehouse” players. For different reasons, including the demise of three top-flight clubs and disenchantment with Jones, there has been an exodus to France as well.
Take Joe Marchant. Apparently ostracised because of a failure to block Marika Koroibete from a restart in Australia on the 2022 the centre sorted a move to Stade Français. He subsequently became integral to England’s World Cup campaign the following year, but was ineligible for the next section of Borthwick’s stewardship from 2024 onwards, which precipitated the return of Slade.
For an idea of the turnover that Borthwick has overseen – while maintaining a respectable level of performance, notwithstanding valid criticism and a string of close defeats – this is a match-day 23 to have fallen out of the reckoning, due to several factors, since the beginning of 2023:
It is a stretch to cite some of these names. Joe Launchbury’s last cap came from the bench at the end of the 2022 Six Nations. Others, such as Leicester Tigers-bound Jamie Blamire, could easily bounce back. Henry Arundell is joining Bath from Racing 92. Either way, there is enough experience and quality in that squad to illustrate how Borthwick has had to rebuild on the hoof.
The re-establishment of an England A programme is proving useful and Conor O’Shea, the Rugby Football Union’s executive director of performance rugby, deserves credit for restoring a genuine sense of alignment.
This position-by-position table details the gradual renewal under Borthwick so far, splitting players into certain categories; those handed Test debuts by Borthwick (white), those brought back from relative exile under Jones (purple), those in a new position (green), new call-ups to the wider squad or to England A (light blue) and promising under-20s to have been given a taster of senior training (pink). It only features those who have represented England or England A this season, so individuals such as Ethan Roots are not included:
Theo Dan, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Chandler Cunningham-South were all fast-tracked to add explosive athleticism. Dingwall and Ollie Sleightholme had attended multiple training camps under Jones, yet finally got their chance when Borthwick took charge.
Only Maro Itoje, a third permanent captain since 2023, has made more appearances in the Borthwick regime (29) than Earl and Lawrence (27), the latter two having been banished by Jones. George Martin and Mitchell (20 each) were both stuck on a single cap while Jones was in situ.
This could go further. Tommy Freeman was hooked at half-time of Jones’ last match in charge of England. He needed to wait until the beginning of 2024 to reappear, since when he has become a fixture.
Max Ojomoh and Alfie Barbeary, both of whom started against Ireland A last month, were initially called up by Jones years ago. After time away, they appear to be pushing for senior squad places. Jack Kenningham, a flanker who possesses the assets of line-out jumping and jackalling, is in the same boat. Jones first picked him way back in 2021
Sceptics hold up the thrashing of Japan last November as evidence of Borthwick’s conservatism. The selection of Tom Curry, concussed a fortnight previously, was bad for optics. But, in retrospect, his inclusion alongside Sam Underhill and Earl seemed like the trial of a three-openside back row that was used against Ireland to begin the Six Nations.
Also in that game, Asher Opoku-Fordjour arrived from the bench for his first England cap. Tom Roebuck scored a maiden Test try, too. As these two and other replacements were introduced, Borthwick trialled a back line featuring Fin Smith at fly-half and a centre partnership of Lawrence and Tommy Freeman, with Marcus Smith at full-back.
Assembling a scratch team does not help anyone. Experiments are more effective from solid foundations and the current England team simply contain fewer robust parts than rivals such as Ireland. Exuding poise off the bench, Jamie George and Daly have outlined the value of experience.
Each case is unique. Borthwick is aware of how one player might meet the step up more quickly, whereas a peer will need longer to settle. Patience is the answer to this. Cunningham-South, for instance, is being granted time to learn on the job. He will win a 14th cap on Sunday. Other players have had to displace incumbents with the weight of their performances. Tom Willis was phenomenal for Saracens in the Premiership. He battered down the England door and stamped on the splinters.
Coaches can be pernickety about certain positions, and Borthwick does seem rather particular about lock. But Arthur Clark might have been close to an introduction without suffering an injury in January and second row could be the vehicle to get Ted Hill (marked in purple and green, having come in from the cold and adopted a new position) onto the pitch.
Tom Burrow, the current England Under-20 captain, joined up with England A in November to aid preparations for the fixture against Australia’s second string. Olamide Sodeke, another current age-grade international, was supposed to do the same had he not picked up a knock.
Borthwick can barely push through the current under-20 world champions more quickly than he is doing. Finn Carnduff made a significant impression with his leadership last summer. Henry Pollock has been around the front-line group for a while now, with Junior Kpoku visiting as a guest. Kepu Tuipulotu had a taster before he had represented the Under-20s.
The RFU’s tight-five clinics have been a welcome initiative and England have touched base with a glut of tighthead props, including the prodigious Billy Sela, to address a problem position. Insiders are still intrigued by Opoku-Fordjour as a loosehead prop.
Options at inside centre are skinnier, though it was heartening that 21-year-old Joe Woodward, enjoying a seminal campaign with Leicester Tigers, trained with England A.
Will Butt deserved his selection on the merit of displays for Bath and Ojomoh is obviously under consideration at either 12 or 13. Some situations are more complicated. Ollie Hassell-Collins (white and purple) was the first man to whom Borthwick gave a debut as England head coach and swiftly dropped out of the shake-up. This season, the wing’s excellent form for Tigers whisked him back into the England A side.
Selection is a messy, inexact science that requires an open mind. Mistakes are inevitable, but few could deny that England are regenerating.
