SIR CLIVE WOODWARD: England’s mindset says they’re residing in dreamland

England’s defeat in Edinburgh means they’ve now misplaced to Scotland 4 occasions in a row – the primary time that has occurred since 1896. 

To me this can be a main statistic and one which has to make English rugby sit up and take discover on the fall from grace of the nationwide aspect. 

England shouldn’t be dropping to anybody 4 years in a row. That’s to not take something away from Scotland. It is now abundantly clear from latest outcomes between the 2 sides that England are a good distance behind Scotland. 

Steve Borthwick’s males have been second finest by a rustic mile at Murrayfield. England lacked any cohesion or understanding of how they wish to play the sport, significantly in assault. There have been so many dealing with errors. It was very disappointing. 

There are 4 questions I’d like to put to Borthwick…

Why are England’s gamers celebrating meaningless penalties?

This says a lot about England’s mindset. Their gamers – Ben Earl and Maro Itoje specifically – celebrating successful penalties or turnovers isn’t something new. It’s been occurring for some time. 

I simply wouldn’t permit it. This is why. One of the important thing moments of the Scotland sport got here after simply eight minutes. England had began very well and had scored a beautiful crew attempt by means of George Furbank. 

They have been 7-0 up and Murrayfield was very quiet. England had a scrum simply inside their very own half and gained a penalty. Earl had the ball in his palms however turned his again on the opposition and began celebrating the penalty. 

All the backs additionally ran in and celebrated like they’d simply gained the World Cup! Why was Earl not seeking to faucet and go? He ought to have been seeking to preserve Scotland beneath strain. 

The celebrating of penalties is obvious silly. With the Scottish scrum on the ground, Earl had an important alternative to take a fast penalty and run into area. What did he and England do as an alternative? They celebrated needlessly, slowed the sport proper now, and kicked for a line-out. 

If England assume these celebrations have a psychological influence on the opposition they’re residing in dreamland. I’d actually urge Borthwick to inform Earl and Co to knock this nonsense on the pinnacle.

How many England gamers would make a World XV proper now?

The present state of the England aspect is way from all all the way down to Borthwick. We have to recollect he’s solely been within the job a bit of over a yr. 

The RFU and Borthwick’s predecessor Eddie Jones have greater than performed their half. You can let you know’ve received a great aspect at your disposal if a handful of your gamers would get in any worldwide crew. 

The unhappy actuality for England is I’m undecided any of theirs would proper now. In reality, I don’t assume a lot of England’s gamers would even get into the Scotland aspect. And so as to add insult to harm, three of England’s 5 world-class gamers are usually not out there to play within the Six Nations. It’s loopy. When they’re match and firing, 

I feel Owen Farrell (enjoying as a fly-half), Henry Arundell, Jack Willis, Marcus Smith and Itoje would push onerous to get into most groups. But Farrell, Arundell and Willis are at the moment ineligible. English rugby can’t afford to not have its finest gamers unavailable. The outcomes are displaying why.

What is your coverage on substitutions?

Are England simply unloading their bench in matches to offer everybody a sport? For a very long time now I’ve been confused by their ways round replacements. 

It must be questioned. One substitution in Scotland that did work was Immanuel Feyi-Waboso who scored his first Test attempt. But after he went over, Borthwick changed Jamie George. Why take off your captain when the sport is within the stability? There have been additionally a raft of recent faces across the hour mark together with Fin Smith approaching for George Ford. I’m undecided that was wanted. 

It could be very tough for substitutes, particularly backs, to stand up to hurry with the tempo of worldwide rugby once they come on. This will not be a criticism of people, quite the general coverage on substitutions which I feel is flawed. For instance, Smith was unable to transform Feyi-Waboso’s attempt. 

In my opinion a part of the rationale for that was as a result of he was solely simply on the sphere. It was a key second as a result of if the kick had gone over, it could have been a seven-point sport. England’s poor use of substitutions value them badly in final yr’s World Cup semi-final defeat by South Africa. The similar factor occurred once more towards Scotland. Lessons simply aren’t being realized.

Why are you persisting with the narrative of improvement?

Borthwick has to – and I imply has to – have a look at the language he makes use of with regard to his crew. 

After the Scotland sport, he stated: ‘You see a team trying to develop and add layers to its game but they made errors.’ International rugby will not be about improvement. It is about successful. The extra you set the notion of improvement within the gamers’ minds, the extra comfy and careless they turn into. 

If a participant is continually being informed they and the crew are growing, it takes away any sense of jeopardy or urgency. It is one other lesson from the Jones period that has not been realized. 

For years the RFU, England supporters and the media have been strung alongside and fed a story by Jones about this nice attacking sport that may sooner or later blow the world away. It by no means occurred. Borthwick’s England ought to enhance over time. But everybody has to get up and realise this discuss of improvement isn’t acceptable. 

The fixed concentrate on England’s new blitz defence has additionally turn into fairly boring. I’ve by no means heard so many feedback a couple of crew’s defence! I learn feedback from the England camp pointing to the actual fact it took South Africa 14 video games to adapt to the blitz system Felix Jones has introduced in. Great. So are we supposed to attend 14 video games for England to achieve success? England’s followers have waited lengthy sufficient already.