England are not yet in crisis but Six Nations could be decisive for Borthwick | Robert Kitson

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Defeat at the hands of South Africa was to be expected, but the Six Nations looms as kill or cure for the coach's project

A little perspective is always useful at times like this. How many people, for example, genuinely expected England to beat the world champions, South Africa, on Saturday? A good side winning an absorbing game of rugby does not necessarily mean the gallant losers are totally hopeless. England's autumn has certainly been full of drama but is it really a full-blown crisis?

A 'crisis', in sporting terms, refers to the indisputable point at which a team start to perform so far below expectations that there is no discernible hope. Yes, a fifth defeat on the trot is uncomfortable for a supposed top-tier nation. Yes, they continue to tail off in the final half-hours of too many big games. A limp finish is increasingly what springs to mind when analysts lie back and think of England.