LONG READ Mick Cleary: 'There was plenty to admire in England’s showing, even if the madcap finish scrambled many minds.'

The Sound of Silence, music to the ears of Steve Borthwick. If only the soundtrack of a subdued away stadium could play for ever and a day for the England head coach. But it didn’t last in the match itself as England came perishingly close to following their footballing counterparts and throwing the result late on. Nor have the critical murmurings been completely stilled at Twickenham as England’s long summer labours come to an end, a grafting, initially uplifting, performance yielding Borthwick’s men their first victory on the road in a year. As Thomas Tuchel discovered when boos greeted his name being announced at the Bronze match in Miami, the relationship with a support base can be a delicate affair, yet Borthwick, with two wins from three Nations Championship matches, can afford to rest, recuperate and plan ahead. But, despite 25,000 miles travelled over the last three weeks, England have somehow managed to take only half a step forward. If only they could bottle their first half display and put it out on the field for the full 80.

Their dynamic, purposeful opening salvo in Santiago del Estero showed the potential that is there. But it remains a half-built edifice. One puff of turbulence and panic set in. Admittedly, it’s dangerous to read too much into press conferences but the manner in which Borthwick snapped at his critics when questioned about the towering tally on England yellow cards, four in this match to take the haul to 14 across the last ten tests, indicates the strain he’s been under. The line of inquiry is wholly legitimate. England will not advance to the upper echelons of the world game unless they tighten their discipline. But fair enough. Borthwick has been under pressure. And rightly so after England’s worst Six Nations for eons and a thumping defeat in Johannesburg on the opening Nations weekend. Credit where it is due though. This was a match that had to be won. And, for all the misgivings, it was.

Los Pumas in Argentina may not be the fierce opponents that once they were. But England had a lot to contend with in the wake of the fractious football loss to Messi and his mates in Atlanta. The temperature was up to scorchio levels with Los Pumas donning a retro 1986 Maradona kit and the La Cuarta Estrella Malvinas anthems ringing round the stadium. This was pantomime stuff on one level, intimidating for those only of suspect mentality. In that regard, England looked to have cracked it. And then they didn’t. Until that fault line, that lack of certainty and self-assuredness, is corrected then the jury remains out on England’s Webb Ellis Cup prospects. If nothing else, Borthwick has to state just why his team succumb to such walkabout tendencies, why they infringe rather than holding firm when the pressure comes on, and what they are doing to put it all to rights.

England were quick to change their Buenos Aires hotel arrangements to avoid any post World Cup final brouhaha in the centre of the city.

There was plenty to admire in England’s showing, even if the madcap finish scrambled many minds. The sooner World Rugby gets their off-site TMO bunker fully operational the better. Of course, there will still be issues. More power needs to be given to the referee’s elbow. In this writer’s opinion, the game has to accommodate the occasional disputed decision if it is ever to flow properly again. Only bloopers should be called out by the TMO and we’d all be the better for it. Yet the wag would say the exception is Borthwick and his players if that last sequence had seen a penalty try awarded, a plausible outcome on the evidence of what might have been a marginal call for a seatbelt tackle by Noah Caluori.

England were quick to change their Buenos Aires hotel arrangements to avoid any post World Cup final brouhaha in the centre of the city. Some might argue that if only they showed such alacrity in selection itself. Borthwick lags way behind other counties in taking the chance to try tyro test players during this championship, using only 17 starters to the 25 of France and Ireland.

It’s an unfair criticism on some levels, though. Borthwick has had very little wriggle room. He is too genuine a bloke, too selfless in putting the team first, to be focused solely on keeping his job by sticking to the same line-up. Never mind him, his team needed to win for the sake of their confidence when they get back together in the autumn with the 12-month countdown to the 2027 Rugby World Cup well and truly under way. This was a tournament in which points and victories needed to be earned. That was the prime objective after such an underwhelming Six Nations.

Borthwick has got the fundamentals in place with a sturdy scrum and fully functioning lineout. There will be many Argentinians tossing and turning in their nightmare-plagued sleep at the sight of los Pumas pack being shunted over their line.

It’s not as if there hasn’t been any development with four new caps blooded from the bench. To many, one of his blind spots, however, remains his reluctance to start Henry Pollock. There is now no case for holding him back. Yet again the Northampton back-rower showed well in his brief and curtailed appearance, copping one for the team when he was sin-binned for multiple offences by himself and others. If only England fans could look forward to a back-row of Ollie Chessum, Henry Pollock and Jack Willis in the World Cup.

Borthwick has got the fundamentals in place with a sturdy scrum and fully functioning lineout. There will be many Argentinians tossing and turning in their nightmare-plagued sleep at the sight of los Pumas pack being shunted over their line as if it were made of candy-floss. England are a bit light in proven hooking depth but their prop stocks are in good order, reasonably so at lock while back-row just needs that clearer direction from the management over Pollock.

The back-line has X-factor ability in the shape of Manny Feyi-Waboso who does what all the great wings do – find space, detect openings, then have the pace as well as the strength to exploit it. Tommy Freeman is more conventional but potent also. George Furbank could complete a back three to compete with the best.

All things considered, Borthwick ends a long, long season in an reasonable place. That might appear to be damning with faint praise. Yet compared to the seditious mood growing through the Six Nations, that is a plus. The Nations Championship, particularly the outcome in Santiago del Estero, has given him breathing space, a springboard of possibility for what lies ahead.