The changes Borthwick has noticed in England skipper Owen Farrell
Steve Borthwick has outlined the leadership difference he has noticed in Owen Farrell this year compared to when he previously worked with the England skipper. The current head coach, who took over the role last December when Eddie Jones was sacked, had served as forwards coach from 2016 through to the pandemic suspension of the 2020 Guinness Six Nations.
The coach switched over to Leicester, becoming head coach at Welford Road and guiding them to Gallagher Premiership glory in June 2022 against Farrell’s Saracens before taking up the RFU offer six months later to succeed Jones as England boss.
That resulted in him going back to work with Farrell at Test level and there were rocky moments encountered last spring during an underwhelming Six Nations, most notably the dropping of the captain to the bench for the round four championship match with France.
However, Borthwick believes the pair have now reached an understanding that can serve England well as they look to stop their current results rot and produce at the upcoming Rugby World Cup in France.
“There is a three-year gap in my experience of working with Owen,” began Borthwick, who has named Farrell as his World Cup skipper and has selected him to start at fly-half in this Saturday’s Summer Nations Series clash with Wales at Twickenham.
“We have discussed what has changed and developed and I think he has changed through that period, as we all have. He has changed his leadership style, there is that balance. He still has that inner competitiveness that we all see in him. He has also developed the ability to recognise when that coolness and calmness is required.
“And he has added a lot of skills to his leadership. Through the Six Nations, there was a period of he and I understanding how each other was working, trying to understand each other. Now we are pretty clear how we want to work together.”
Farrell led England to the World Cup final in Japan four years ago and ahead of the latest RWC campaign beginning on September 9 versus Argentina in Marseille, he said: “The dream is always to be in the big game at the end and to go as far as you can. All our focus is on that.”
It will be a steep climb to get there. England under Borthwick have won just twice in six outings, but the increasingly loud outside noise about their struggles isn’t being entertained inside the camp.
“Whether we are going in as favourites or going in under the radar we will hopefully use it to our advantage either way. We are where we are at the minute, we are working hard quietly to be the best that we can be.
“Tournament rugby is a lot about pressure, the World Cup. It’s bigger than everything else you play. There is more eyes, there’s more noise, there is more outside noise especially and the nice thing maybe at times for us is that we might not have as much of that. I don’t know. It might be in a different way. Who knows?
“But the big thing for me is focus on what is in camp. We focus on what we can control and not let the other stuff creep in and use it well. That is what we will be doing. We will be making sure we don’t get in our own way because of external factors that don’t really matter in I’m honest. We’ll look forward to try and get the best out of ourselves either way.
“The whole thing for the team has been to get the most out of ourselves now. We know what a big tournament is coming up and we are looking forward to it.
“The opportunity is brilliant for us but all our focus is on making sure we are becoming a better rugby team now and we have been doing that over the past few weeks and now the squad has been selected we can really rip into that even more now.”
World Cup 2023 will be Farrell’s third after wildly different previous campaigns, England enduring pool stage elimination in 2015 before coming good four years later in Japan to reach the final after a run that included a spectacular semi-final success to dethrone New Zealand, the back-to-back 2011 and 2015 champions.
“It’s not just the last World Cup, there has been a few now that I have been involved in before and they have been both ends of the spectrum,” said Farrell when asked what influence his previous RWC experiences might now wield on England in France.
“I’m not trying to be anything I’m not. Like Steve has said, we’re trying to be the best version of ourselves. Obviously there is learning, people learn all the time. It’s not a matter of sitting down and thinking right what went the last World Cup.
“Of course there is reflection but hopefully a lot of that reflection would have gone into the last four years, not just popping up and now ready to go when the next one comes around. I want to be myself, I want to enjoy it, I want is to be the best version of us.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Bit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
35 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
1 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
1 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
3 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
33 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
4 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
3 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
33 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
33 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to comments