England versus France is one of the great rivalries in rugby and we’re looking forward to the occasion,” declared Steve Borthwick on Tuesday in his usual matter-of-fact manner. You would imagine that the dialogue within England’s Verona training camp this week will have been slightly more direct.
Hands up if you saw this collapse coming? The worst-case assumption for pre-tournament title contenders England was that they might lose at Murrayfield or in Paris on the final day. Borthwick spoke about supporters travelling across the Channel in hope of a potentially historic night for English rugby. Perhaps a first title since 2020. Maybe even a first Grand Slam since 2016.
