Steve Borthwick and the spelling gaffe that keeps inspiring him
Past conversations with Steve Borthwick used to be like getting blood from a stone, but the 43-year-old has undergone a public speaking transformation since becoming the new England coach in December. As the England skipper during his playing days and as a national team assistant coach under Eddie Jones, he constantly came across as a very guarded individual unwilling to shine a light on the insightful rugby personality that he can be.
This ducking and diving continued during his time as the Leicester head coach, his media engagements remaining stilted affairs where information was difficult to mine, but he has now undergone a very noticeable shift in the knowledge he wants to volunteer.
Those shackles came off on his very first day as the England boss last month and his open approach has continued with the countdown now on towards next weekend’s February 4 Guinness Six Nations opener versus Scotland at Twickenham.
For instance, just the other day at the tournament media launch in London, he had a room jam-packed full of reporters heartily laughing when he delivered the punchline about a pep talk he had as a teenager with a school careers advisor.
The October 1979-born Borthwick was a wide-eyed 15-year-old when rugby first turned professional in the summer of 1995 and asked ahead of his first match as England head coach to explain how proud he is to be in that position, the now 43-year-old recalled a gag made at his expense by an old tutor.
"Lashings of Guinness, belting live music from a busker, and of course the stars of the Six Nations now all under the watchful eye of the Netflix crew…"
– A colourful account of 2023 Six Nations media launch, with @heagneyl ???#GuinnessSixNationshttps://t.co/PAnS4viEuj
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 23, 2023
“The first thing was I wanted to be an international player,” he said, casting his mind back to his days as a big-dreaming teenager. “Rugby turned professional in ’95 and I remember we did this careers day and the school teacher said, ‘Right, what do you want to be?’ I wrote up that I wanted to be a professional rugby player and I wanted to play for England.
“You had to give it to the teacher, the careers advisor, and I was expecting this incredibly disapproving glance that you are not going to be a professional rugby player, that next to no people make it as a professional rugby player.
“To the career advisor’s great credit, he look at me and said, ‘You want to be a professional rugby player?’ I said, ‘Yes, and I want to play for England’. He said, ’You better learn how to spell professional right!’
“I was privileged that I got to be a professional rugby player and, most importantly, I got to play for England, I got to captain England. There is lots I wish I would have done differently, lots I want to make sure these young men do better than I did. I had the opportunity to be assistant coach, that’s a privilege. And now I have the great honour of coaching these guys as head coach and I can’t wait to get started.”
Quizzed specifically as to what the Six Nations personally means to Borthwick, the England boss added: “I’d be telling my little boy he has got to move away from the TV, your eyes will go square if you sit right in front, if you sit that close to the TV. I was that boy, sat so close to the TV, the anthems, the hairs on the back of your neck would stand up!
“I remember that now and then I was privileged to play at Twickenham against Wales when I was 16 years old for England schoolboys and then played more schoolboy internationals. And then, do you remember when they used to play the U21s and the A team games on a Friday night before a Six Nations game and you’d go to the city wherever it was?
“I remember being in Edinburgh, the U21s had played, the A team had played and this city, because the international was the next day, was just buzzing with the excitement of what was coming with this tournament. Rivalries go back so far. So many people have been involved in these games and we are privileged to be part of it now, Just a small part but we are privileged to be part of it.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Marler was brilliant throughout both in the scrum and open play. His slap made virtually no contact with Ramos who milked it for a penalty when he could have been a decent sportsman and laughed it off, it was non-violent and shouldn't have been penalised. Smith failed repeatedly to kick when necessary and put up a couple of bombs into the TLS 22 that just handed back possession at key moments to the other side.
3 Go to commentsCros was outstanding and rightly awarded France TVs player of the match award. Mallia was brilliant as usual (the y is below the 6 on a UK keyboard and he deserves better than that). Level also seems to have been scored harshly as he walked the ball into touch under pressure from a Lynagh kick from well outside his own half which should never have led to a 50-22. Agree with BullShark that Dupont, while class at times, seemed to go missing for patches in the second half with props, hookers and wings frequently filling in at 9 as he couldn't get off the deck and up to the next ruck on time. A 7 by his standards at best, his kicking was also too long, too often. Kinghorn's overall contribution was worth well more than a five.
3 Go to commentsThe Harlequins team must be in minus figures. Did the reporter actually watch the game?
3 Go to commentsHow on earth did Walker escape a red card? Not dangerous? Dupont has his face in a mask earlier this season. Shocking decision. What is the point of TMOs? We had the Fassi ‘non-penalty try’ yesterday and now this.
2 Go to commentsCould have been a different result but yet again French tv able to affect the result by not showing the very clear high shot on harlequin centre if this would have been on a French player would have been on screen at least five times
3 Go to commentsAmazing. The losing team’s ratings are higher than the winning team’s. Mallia definitely didn’t deserve a y. What game were you watching? Should have got a w or an x. ADP hardly featured in that second half. At one point I wondered when he’d been subbed. Seems to me as if he gets an automatic 9 just for getting onto the team sheet.
3 Go to commentsI’m sorry. That second half was far from enthralling. It was painful to watch.
2 Go to commentsVery generous! If you’d missed the game, reading this you’d conclude that it was the Quins front row that cost them the game. Marler getting a blanket 6 for his demented contribution to the game. Puzzling.
3 Go to commentsCan’t see Toulouse beating Leinster at this rate.
7 Go to commentsADP was having a very average game until winning that penalty for Toulouse, sticking his big head in the way. “The head of God”?
7 Go to commentsHarlequins doing their best to do as little damage as possible with all the possession. Looks like they skipped catch and pass drills this week.
7 Go to commentsSeeing pictures of Jacques high-fiving it with Irish players breaks my heart. Too soon. I need more time.
1 Go to commentsquins is all over the place. The minute they get the ball they panic. Quins can still win tho just need to win all rucks otherwise just don't bother.
7 Go to commentsGreat wins for the male & female kiwi sides. Ireland not far away..
1 Go to commentsWhy is this dude getting so much coverage? Usually knobs like this get cancelled.
2 Go to commentsWow. What was that? A 3 million word meandering article about what exactly?
2 Go to commentsNice piece of writing. And yes the Sharks pulled a rabbit from the hat and were a little lucky with that penalty try that wasn’t given… however the Sharks (with their resources) should be way more consistent and should be putting teams like Claremont away for breakfast. I expect more from them and hope they kick on now.
8 Go to commentsJust what the Sharks needed to get things going in the right direction Defence on the outside really creates havoc for the whole team and needs to be addressed.
8 Go to commentsWell done guys both teams will be ready to play knockout rugby.
1 Go to commentsSurprised that Ramos isn't starting at 15. But what a squad of galacticos!
2 Go to comments