RFU's Six Nations review uncovers multiple issues

Steve Borthwick has been backed as the man to lead England forward, following a review into the team’s hugely disappointing Guinness Men’s Six Nations.

Having gone into the championship as second favourites to France, England endured their worst-ever Six Nations campaign.

England’s only victory was an opening-round rout of wooden spoonists Wales, as they finished in fifth place.

“This has been a thorough and honest review, and it is clear that improvement will come from addressing several areas rather than chasing one simple answer,” said RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney.

“This is a young England team that is still growing and developing, and we understand progress in international sport is rarely linear.

“Steve has engaged in this process with full openness and has clear plans in place to address these findings.

“We are all behind him and his coaching team going into the Nations Championship and the series of matches leading into Rugby World Cup 2027.”

The RFU didn’t disclose specifics about where things went wrong for fear of giving rivals a competitive advantage, but the review, carried out by an unnamed panel of rugby experts, did say there were multiple, interconnected failings.

The RFU’s statement said: “Following the conclusion of the Guinness Men’s Six Nations, the RFU, with the support of external independent contributors, has completed a detailed and robust review of the campaign, informed by players, coaches and the wider back-room team.

“The process included a series of in person one to one conversations, enabling open, constructive and, at times, challenging discussions. These conversations, along with other insight, helped ensure the review was grounded in honesty and a focused assessment of where things didn’t go well across the Championship.

“The review concluded that, despite coming off a 12 game winning run, England’s underperformance across the Six Nations was not the result of a singular failure or issue. Instead, it highlighted a number of interconnected performance areas, such as discipline, execution of opportunities and making the most of key moments, where improvement is required if England are to consistently perform at the level expected.

“While performance confidentiality in a competitive international sporting environment limits the level of detail that can be shared publicly – particularly around game strategy and execution – the way in which the team aspires to play was clear throughout the review.

“We recognise why supporters felt frustrated and that they expected more. That disappointment was shared internally, and it underpinned the seriousness with which everyone engaged in this process.

“England Head Coach Steve Borthwick has engaged in the review with honesty and rigour, and he and his coaching team are already addressing issues identified.”