New coach's damning take on Eddie's England

1 year ago 36

England manager Steve Borthwick has issued a damning appraisal of the squad helium inherited from now Wallabies brag Eddie Jones, stating they "weren't bully astatine anything".

Borthwick's debut Test successful complaint of England was ruined by Duhan van der Merwe's precocious effort arsenic Scotland opened its Six Nations run with a 29-23 triumph astatine Twickenham.

Borthwick, the erstwhile Test lock, was groomed by Jones arsenic a coach, moving arsenic an adjunct to the Australian with some Japan and England.

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Jones, who took complaint aft the 2015 Rugby World Cup, led England to the last of the tourney successful 2019 - erstwhile it mislaid to South Africa - and won 3 Six Nations titles successful his 7 years astatine the helm.

But a mediocre 2022 grounds of six losses, 1 gully and 5 wins successful 12 Tests helped bring an extremity to his tenure.

"I've been frank from time 1 successful saying there's a batch of enactment to do," Borthwick said.

"When I looked astatine the squad successful the autumn, erstwhile I measured the squad and got each the information for the team, we weren't bully astatine anything.

"It was arsenic frank arsenic that. So we are trying to physique immoderate strengths successful this squad and immoderate bits we are pleased astir and immoderate bits we are disappointed about. My occupation is to marque definite we get immoderate improvements adjacent week.

"I person asked the players to play a caller way. One happening I person got to bash present is get the players to judge successful themselves and get the players to bring their strengths to the pitch. Get them to play to the champion of themselves, which I don't deliberation we person seen them bash for a while. I deliberation you saw an betterment successful that regard.

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"There are aggregate areas that we person tried to change. I deliberation you saw immoderate betterment successful the scrum which I was pleased astir due to the fact that it has been ranked arsenic the worst scrum successful tier 1 rugby. I deliberation we saw immoderate improvements successful the onslaught and velocity of shot and we tried to amended the breakdown wherever I deliberation England were ranked the ninth quickest, truthful 1 of the slowest successful tier one."

Speaking earlier the Six Nations opener, Jones picked England to bushed Scotland and praised some Borthwick and his erstwhile players.

"He's a a bully fella, bully coach," Jones said on his caller podcast, Eddie, with David Pembroke

"Very superior astir winning and he'll bash a fantastic occupation and I'm truly arrogant of him."

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