It might well have been the most difficult selection of Steve Borthwick’s tenure as England head coach. Having tried first sticking and then twisting to compel the reaction he desired from his squad after defeats, a historic Six Nations loss in Italy seemed to leave Borthwick with nowhere to turn as he seeks to address a three-game run that has left his job under severe scrutiny.
In that context, it may feel like making minimal changes is a risky approach. There was little that could have been done, though, to dramatically address a slump that seemed as much mental as to do with selection, and Borthwick was somewhat limited by a paucity of options on England’s European tour, which has seen them set up base in Verona between games in Rome and Paris. With Ollie Lawrence not fit, Henry Slade not having travelled, and George Furbank seemingly not trusted to be at Test sharpness after 15 months of injury woe, a backline that struggled to take its chances goes again with a need to build cohesion, confidence and connection – three qualities lacking at the Stadio Olimpico.
