This has been an excruciatingly difficult week for Steve Borthwick’s players, booed off the pitch after a record defeat by France, and I know how they feel. England’s previous worst result at Twickenham was the 42-6 beating by the Springboks in 2008. Watching from the stand, five years on from lifting the World Cup, was manager Martin Johnson, and the dressing room was a desolate place to be after that game.
It was a dark day for me too, as I was on the left wing, and for the England captain, a certain Borthwick. But then, as now, there was some consolation as we could get the defeat, in what was an autumn international, out of our systems. The pity for us was that it was the All Blacks who were coming to Twickenham the next weekend. We were beaten again but it was an improved display – it could hardly have been worse – and for England on Saturday the challenge is similarly formidable.
England are facing the best team in the world, hardly a balm for their injured pride. England can be at their best but if this outstanding Irish side are also at their best they will make history by becoming the first to complete a grand slam in Dublin.
One cliche that should be avoided is that England are coming to Dublin to spoil an Irish party. The mindset of the England team has to be to avoid external events and concentrate on internal ones. The 2008 team I was a part of was not a good one. The 2023 version has some excellent players. This is their last competitive game before the World Cup and the last time many of this group will be together.
Ellis Genge has talked of the “point of grief” after last weekend, but the wounds can be healed. What England need is total belief in the clarity of their gameplan. That clarity breeds confidence. There is always a lot of talk about the building process towards a match. Last Sunday, Borthwick would have said “no” if asked if England could win. On Monday the answer would still have been “no”. But Borthwick, Kevin Sinfield, Nick Evans and the rest of the coaching team are smart people who know their words don’t spark confidence. That confidence comes with belief in the gameplan.
What is vital in the cauldron of the Aviva Stadium, an intimidating place in normal times let alone when history is in the offing, is not to go out to prove individual points. There has been a lot of talk in the English press this week about individual players and whether or not they should be discarded after such a calamitous result, but all that talk should be ignored by the likes of Alex Dombrandt and Jack van Poortvliet. They are good players with a lot of professional pride and will need that clarity of purpose and must play for the team with spirit and fight. They know they can provide England supporters with a core performance that they can hang their hat on.
In Paris last spring I felt that England’s aim was damage limitation with Freddie Steward out of position on the wing. France were never in danger of being denied a grand slam in a frenzied atmosphere at home. This weekend must be different with England fronting up with controlled aggression. Ireland are exceptional aesthetically and brilliant in finding a way of navigating a path through adversity. Scotland competed with Ireland until half-time last Sunday but Ireland were really astute tactically in the second half after that raft of injuries. England will have to be bolder than they were last year against the French.
The Munster anthem is “Stand up and Fight” and that’s exactly what England must do on Saturday. But the fight has to be lawful. England need discipline if they are to put the likes of Peter O’Mahony off his stride. His controlled aggression has been outstanding.
We saw what happened when Manu Tuilagi lost his discipline after he was left out of the England camp and turned out for Sale, earning a red card and ban for losing his control. But Tuilagi is an obvious replacement for Ollie Lawrence and I like the look of the English midfield. Henry Arundell is also a brilliant player. He may have been thrown in at the deep end but he will want to be involved and can give the Irish back three plenty to think about. The pressure will be off him and his teammates.
Dave Ribbans, who is leaving Northampton for France this summer, can also make an impact. The lock has had only a couple of cameos for England but he made a big difference against the All Blacks last autumn.
Johnny Sexton, in what is certain to be his last Six Nations appearance, can become the competition’s all-time record scorer, and this is a once-in-a-lifetime occasion for Ireland. But as Garry Ringrose, missing this weekend after his concussion at Murrayfield, and the England team have discovered, sport can be cruel.
