Steve Borthwick given two-game ultimatum as shock favourite emerges to replace him
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Former England fly-half Toby Flood has delivered a stark message to Steve Borthwick, warning that the pressure is mounting on the England boss after an underwhelming tenure so far.
Find your local Greene King and settle in for the 2025 Six Nations!
Since taking over from Eddie Jones in 2022, Borthwick has managed just 14 wins in 29 games, with 15 losses casting a shadow over his reign.
Flood didn't hold back when discussing Borthwick's position, stating:
*”Steve Borthwick is absolutely under pressure. He needs something in this tournament, something concrete. In my head, he needs to win the three home games at a minimum—although those days of England being bankers at home have gone.
“Let's put it differently. He needs three wins of any sort, anywhere, minimum. If there are two defeats, they need to be narrow. England need to turn a corner. If they were to beat only Italy and Wales in this tournament, it would look poor again, and lots of serious questions would be asked. It's become very difficult for him.”*
Flood also hinted at possible successors should the RFU decide to make a change, name-dropping Exeter Chiefs' Rob Baxter and Ireland boss Andy Farrell as potential candidates to take over.
Who's next for England?
As speculation swirls, bookmakers have released odds on potential successors. A surprise name is leading the race:
- Sir Clive Woodward – 40/1
- Phil Dawson – 20/1
- Rob Baxter – 18/1
- Andy Farrell – 15/1
- Ronan O'Gara – 10/1
- Stuart Lancaster – 7/1
- Michael Cheika – 2/1
Could Leicester Tigers boss Cheika be the man to take over if the RFU's patience runs out?
Six players who FLOPPED in Round One of the 2025 Six Nations
Wales endured a nightmare start in Paris, suffering a humiliating seven-try defeat to France, as Antoine Dupont ran the show on his return to the championship. Over at Murrayfield, Huw Jones stole the spotlight with a stylish hat-trick, helping Scotland edge past a spirited Italy side. Meanwhile, Ireland's title defence began with a comeback win over England, who at least salvaged a losing bonus point in Dublin.
With Round Two looming, we take a look at six players who flopped in the opening weekend.
#1. Ben Earl (England)
Mail Online 5/10: “Dropped restart after England’s early opener but one strong ruck clear-out showed his menace. Made way for Saracens team-mate Tom Willis.”
Rugby Pass 5/10: “The third openside in the England back row, he was eclipsed by what the Curry twins achieved and gone by the 56th minute. While a show of wheels helped lead to the penalty that got England 10-5 up just before the break, some rearguard work wasn't up to scratch. For instance, his soft knock-on at the 7-0 restart. There were also too many missed tackles.”
#2. Josh Adams (Wales)
RUCK 5/10: “Adams hit a milestone, running out for his 60th appearance for Wales. The 29-year-old is another player who has been a welcome return for Gatland's squad for this Championship. The Cardiff Rugby player is a scoring machine, having crossed the whitewash 21 times for 105 points. But he couldn’t make much of an impact as he never really got given the ball.”
Rugby Pass 3/10: “Huge shot on Pierre-Louis Barassi showed he was up for the fight, but that attitude boiled over at one point as he screamed at the referee. Was caught out of position by Dupont, who chipped over his head to set up Attissogbe's opening try. Found himself similarly exposed for Les Bleus' second try, but that was just a result of wave after wave of French pressure. Will be sick of the sight of Attissogbe's heels and backside.”
Wales Online 5/10: “The Cardiff wing got exposed defensively on a few occasions and missed an early tackle on his opposite number Théo Attissogbé which put Wales under severe pressure”
Planet Rugby 5/10: “Was given a bit of a torrid time on his wing, although it wasn't really his fault. Put in one big hit on defence but was then slightly embarrassed by Thomas Ramos for Louis Bielle-Biarrey's first try.”
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