Former England head coach Eddie Jones has strongly cautioned against dismissing Steve Borthwick, labelling such a move as "foolhardy" despite the national side’s disappointing Guinness Six Nations campaign.
England concluded the tournament in fifth place, securing only a single victory against Wales in the opening round, a stark contrast to the high expectations surrounding the squad.
Their campaign culminated in a dramatic 48-46 defeat by France on Saturday.
The Rugby Football Union is poised to review England’s worst performance in Six Nations history, though Borthwick retains the backing of his players and has already received support from RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney.
Jones, who led England from 2015 until his departure in 2022, previously worked alongside Borthwick, then an assistant coach, before Borthwick took over the top job ahead of the 2023 World Cup.
Speaking on the Rugby Unity podcast, Jones argued that now is not the opportune moment for another change as England prepare for the Nations Championship, which kicks off against South Africa on 3 July, and look ahead to next year’s World Cup.
"Steve’s done a good job with England," Jones stated. "There is no doubt that they had a bad tournament, so he will need to show to the RFU that he knows why he has had a bad tournament, he knows how he is going to turn it around and I am sure he can do that."
Jones, now in his second stint as Japan’s head coach, added: "I think (Borthwick) is the right man to coach England and I think they (RFU) should support him through this.
“Maybe he has got a few things wrong and they will need to help him rectify those errors, but they would be foolhardy to change."
He further suggested, "I think they are still struggling to find (their identity). I think Steve knows how he wants to play and I think there is probably an internal battle going on within the players."
