My advice for Borthwick if he wants to keep his job – Andy Goode

This year looked like it might be different but it’s a familiar Six Nations feeling for England, with just one title in nine years now, and significant change is needed.

One crushing defeat against an Ireland side that has beaten all the best teams in the world in recent years could be brushed under the carpet but not when it comes so hot on the heels of the embarrassing loss in Edinburgh and it’s the manner of the defeats.

The men in white have lacked personality, bite, the adaptability to change things in-game and the bravery to attack that is essential in the game today and, ultimately, that is a reflection of the head coach and the buck stops with him.

If England lose to Italy and France, there is every chance that will mean him losing his job as it would be the worst performance in the tournament for 39 years since they won just one of four games in 1987.

Otherwise, Steve Borthwick likely has enough credit in the bank but he needs to look inward as well as at his players in the quest to solve issues that have reared their ugly head over the past fortnight.

We know the detail Borthwick brings and he has an intensity about him that can work both for and against him but, after what will be a brutal debrief, a lightness of touch will be needed in the fallow week and the environment needs to feel fun again.

That doesn’t have to be at the expense of focus and hard work but a weight needs to be lifted at times and then when it comes to game time, we saw from an inspired Ireland team on Saturday just what an influence a head coach can be as a motivator.

The Irish players were exceptional, their coaches collectively got the tactics spot on but there was also an extra ingredient that Andy Farrell is a master at and if that isn’t quite the case with Borthwick, the likes of Kevin Sinfield should be able to provide it.

England had enough ball at Allianz Stadium, it wasn’t generally slow ball and they didn’t kick as much of it away as usual, but their decision-making was poor and they were off it in every single area.

Ireland were accurate, masterful at the breakdown and forced their hosts into conceding a massive 24 turnovers. You simply aren’t going to win a Test at the top level with a stat like that against your name.

You don’t become a bad team overnight after stringing together 12 victories on the bounce but that year-long winning streak was also a little deceptive, with just four Tests on the road and those in Wales, the USA and Argentina with both sides depleted.

The most impressive displays in that run came when England were allowed to attack with more freedom but they’ve reverted to type in the heat of the Six Nations and Lee Blackett has to be given more influence in both game plan and selection.

Having watched his fingerprints all over successful Wasps and Bath sides, as well as briefly at Scarlets, over the past decade, there’s no way this aligns with his vision of how to play the game but we can only speculate as to which players might suit his philosophy best.

However, it is abundantly clear that Fin Smith has to come in for George Ford at fly-half. This isn’t hindsight as he never deserved to lose the number 10 jersey after leading the team to four straight wins in last year’s Six Nations and I said it again after defeat to Scotland.

Ford is far from on his own in terms of being below the level expected over the past couple of weeks but he has to take responsibility for not being able to deliver a plan B when the power game doesn’t work and carry the can almost as much as the head coach as his general on the field.

The Sale man has some excellent qualities and a wealth of experience but Smith is the present as well as the future and, even at the much more tender age of 23, is the more well-rounded fly half in terms of defence, passing game, kicking and game management.

Marcus Smith has the better running game and is often unfairly pigeonholed as a certain type of player when he’s proven more than capable of managing games in different ways but the Northampton man is the more complete player and should be perfectly suited to working under Blackett.

England’s attack coach knows Max Ojomoh, not seen since his player of the match performance against Argentina in the final game of the autumn, very well from his time at Bath and perhaps he comes in to partner club colleague Ollie Lawrence.

If Alex Mitchell’s injury is bad enough to keep him out of the trip to Rome, then Ben Spencer deserves the chance to start a Six Nations game for the first time ever, and it is incredible that he hasn’t been afforded that opportunity before now, and the backline will have more of a Bath feel to it.

In an ideal world, you would probably pair the Saints halfbacks together, though, and club combinations are important. George Furbank’s likely inclusion at full back will add even more familiarity for Fin Smith and an extra playmaker in attack.

In the forwards, there looks certain to be a change at hooker given Luke Cowan-Dickie was hooked after half an hour, and there are question marks over Maro Itoje as he has been replaced in three of the last four Tests and a replacement in the other.

That comes on the back of a run of several years where he played the full 80 minutes every time he took the field and there may be completely understandable factors beyond the field of play, as well as fatigue after the extra responsibilities of being British & Irish Lions captain, but he hasn’t looked himself in this tournament.

When the opposition sees a skipper, especially one with Itoje’s record for finishing games, departing before the hour mark, it gives them a boost and they know they’re getting the job done but I don’t expect to see him lose his place.

Elsewhere in the pack, it is likely that Borthwick will back the majority of his starters to come good against the Azzurri after a week off but only Ben Earl and Joe Heyes have come out with any real credit thus far and the balance of the back row is still an issue.

I think Henry Pollock had some good moments on his first Test start but if he is to keep his place alongside Earl, Guy Pepper possibly needs to come back in to complete the back row or Alex Coles could be utilised at blindside.

All in all, that probably points to five alterations in personnel which hardly counts as wholesale changes but it’s a mentality shift that’s needed because the same thing is happening to England in every Six Nations campaign and Italy will be licking their lips.

England may never have lost to Italy but a backline featuring Tommaso Menoncello, Ange Capuozzo, Louis Lynagh, Monty Ioane and Paolo Garbisi will have been watching the men in white’s failings with an interest and be relishing a shot at making history.

Gonzalo Quesada’s men looked good at times against France, ran Ireland close and beat Scotland so, make no bones about it, on the evidence we have seen this is their best ever chance of beating England.

They’ll need to fix their malfunctioning lineout but their scrum is solid no matter who they go for in the front row, Andrea Zambonin has been huge for them, the Cannone brothers are consistent and they have ball carriers and are good at the breakdown.

Everyone knows Italy have come on in leaps and bounds over the past couple of years and this has become a monumental game for England but they won’t win it by going into their shell and trying to bully the opposition and going to the air.

Hopefully, a week off will do them the world of good and a reaction should be a given, albeit it wasn’t forthcoming after defeat to Scotland, but the pressure is on and Borthwick has to react to that in a positive way by giving Fin Smith the keys and going on the attack.