Sat on high in a Roman colosseum, Steve Borthwick looked around to see his empire in decay. If defeats to Scotland and Ireland could be in part explained away as two off-days, a historic loss to Italy represented a new Six Nations low for England – and worse could still be to come.
Never previously have England ended a campaign with just a single win; with a trip to Paris to face pent-up French frustration in seven days’ time, contemplating any other outcome now feels fanciful.
