England star makes wild claim about Rugby World Cup chances 'under Steve'

The thing is right. Multiple things can be true. He can be an excellent coach and still not the right guy for the role.

So many players and ex players speak so highly of him. He is by all accounts incredibly diligent, super technical, a workaholic etc and that is all great but if you're blinded by an incorrect philosophy, spent your entire career with your head in precarious places and you've appointed a team of yes-men around you with zero international experience then that's not necessarily a recipe for success.

Thoughts after the weekend re. England.

The France game was a dead rubber for England. 94 combined points, Bielle-Biarrey scored four tries, defensive structure gone on both sides - France had to throw it around too given what was at stake.

We can't draw conclusions from chaos.

The Freeman experiment doesn't hold up game by game. Against Scotland he was caught in a midfield melee for their second try and looked a completely different player when he moved to the wing late on. Against Ireland, Lawrence replaced him at 13 and immediately provided brute force Freeman hadn't offered, beating five defenders from a static start (even if McCloskey ran over him in the game). Against Italy he was forced back to 13 by Lawrence's injury, not conviction. Against France, yes a near-winning try, but he struggled against Bielle-Biarrey's pace, and the game was so open it was wing-friendly territory across the whole pitch.

The structural cost is the real issue - you're weakening two positions instead of strengthening one. England lose their best finisher from the wing and fill a specialist position with someone learning on the job. His reads are a winger's reads - his instinct to drift wide leaves the 12 isolated. And opposition defences work it out.

France don't move Bielle-Biarrey to centre, Ireland don't move Lowe inside, South Africa don't shift Kolbe to 13, etc. - so why do England do the same with Freeman? It makes no sense.

Three questions, in order:

1. IDENTITY. What rugby are England playing? The winning run was built on kicking and control. Borthwick somewhat changed philosophy in the last game - the one time it worked was the one time it didn't matter.

2. THE 12. Dingwall and Atkinson both tried. Neither did what McCloskey, Esterhuizen, Moefana or Barrett do. England just do not have a Test-quality specialist 12.

3. LAWRENCE. England's best centre, but the system doesn't replicate Bath. If he's fit at 13, Freeman goes back to the wing. Two positions strengthened. But it still doesn't fix the 12.

South Africa first up in the Nations Championship. If England still have an unsolved 12 and a winger at 13, we know what happens.

I get the players feel they have to be positive about the coach but the numbers don’t lie. ENG were;

1. The team that gave away the most penalties.

2. The team that got the most yellow cards.

3. The team that kicked the most.

4. The team with the lowest tackle count (635 tackles in tournament), nearly 200 tackles lower than the best defences.

5. The lowest tackle completion in the 6N’s at 77% (we have the worst defence)

6. We scored the 2nd highest points in the competition, vs the 2nd highest points conceded (who says defence doesn’t win matches???).

7. We have a coach that is muddled and confused by his own tactics and doesn’t know how to select his best team.

8. All in all - this was a shambles for ENG and Borthwick should pay the price.

9. 5th was the right outcome based on how we played.

10. No more excuses - please get us a head coach and defence coach that know how to do the job. 👍

Nice to see George confirm Warren Gatland’s take on English players…even when they are rubbish they think they are the best in the world Priceless!!

Where’s WADA when you need them??

“He has been unbelievable for English rugby. It’s crazy what has been happening over the last few weeks and he is absolutely the right man to lead us forward for a long time.“

Surely this alone tells us that Jamie George is just a yes man and always has been? Or am I missing something?

Right on queue - England. Favourites to win the World Cup.

They don’t even need to win games to stake that claim anymore.

Discuss.

🤣

England has a super easy table and will go all the way to the final

South Africa, New Zealand and France are on the other side and will dismantle each other, arrive tired and one of these 3 teams will have a tough tough final against a fresh and rested England

Please stick with him!!!

We're all getting great value out of this

He's misunderstood

When Borthwick is finally fired, we will hear the same players saying the complete opposite. Now, let’s get talking about who is going to replace him. Perhaps nobody, because against France it looks like Chessum got ahold of the team and said we’re going to play our way, so ignore the coach. Just they fell back into some old pointless kick and chase at several points during the game. Can’t wait for Eng v SA, then we’ll know where they are.

Jamie george is one of the leadership group who have been found lacking on the pitch so his opinion is somewhat devalued.

While itoje is good player he doesn’t really inspire on the verbal front.

I am not sure about Fin yet . He left 6 points out there with missed kicks .

His tackling is light years ahead of Ford . But .

The answer is Marcus and it’s blindingly obvious how much he raises the tempo when he comes on .

He needs an extended run at 10 and Chessum made captain .

Obviously with a new coaching group too .

And their fans still have the deep dive of their endless podcasts/group therapy sessions, tying to work it out

Maybe it starts tomorrow? Maybe this is how they win the next RWC?

Maybe they walk tall going into their debut NC fixture on a 4 game losing streak?

It was supposed to be a slam, too

Henry Pollock may have made a mistake, and could have potentially done something different, but he is an England Player, therefore not playing to help anyone else win tje Championship, and certainly not Ireland!

I’d think any professional person in public would say things mirroring what George is saying.

If he’s part of the leadership group you’d hope what is being said behind close doors to the management is based on the obvious problems and not so fluffy feel good.

I’m sorry but no. Borthwick has been terrible for English rugby. Jamie George is an ex-teammate and friend so not an impartial commentator. The evidence of how poor Borthwick’s tenure has been is clear for all to see. His time is up and England need new leadership and direction if they are to reach their potential otherwise it’ll be another 18 months of mediocrity and the fans will have lost all patience with the team and RFU