Rugby Union Apr 16, 2026

Eddie Jones: England would be foolhardy to sack head coach Steve Borthwick after poor Six Nations run

👤
By Admin
Sports Journalist
Eddie Jones: England would be foolhardy to sack head coach Steve Borthwick after poor Six Nations run

Former England head coach Eddie Jones believes sacking Steve Borthwick would be "foolhardy" despite a poor Guinness Six Nations campaign.

England finished fifth in the table following a , with the round-one victory over Wales the solitary win from a tournament which had promised so much.

The Rugby Football Union is set to review England's worst performance in Six Nations history, but head coach Borthwick continues to have the support of his players and has already been backed by RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney.

Australian Jones took on the England role from 2015 until his departure in 2022 and worked alongside then-assistant coach Borthwick, who replaced him ahead of the 2023 World Cup.

Jones feels now is not the time for another change as England regroup for the build-up to the Nations Championship, which begins against South Africa on July 3, and on towards next year's World Cup.

"Steve's done a good job with England," Jones said on the Rugby Unity podcast, which he co-costs with David Pembroke and Ewen McKenzie.

"There is no doubt that they had a bad tournament, so he will need to show to the RFU that he knows why he has had a bad tournament, he knows how he is going to turn it around and I am sure he can do that."

Jones, now in his second spell as Japan head coach, added: "I think [Borthwick] is the right man to coach England and I think they [RFU] should support him through this.

"Maybe he has got a few things wrong and they will need to help him rectify those errors, but they would be foolhardy to change.

"I think they are still struggling to find [their identity]. I think Steve knows how he wants to play and I think there is probably an internal battle going on within the players."

Former World Cup winner Will Greenwood expects England to stick with Borthwick.

Despite England's turbulent campaign, Greenwood expects Borthwick to be in charge of the Nations Cup tournament this summer, then lead England into the World Cup scheduled to take place in Australia from October 1 to November 13 2027.

"I would be reasonably confident that the RFU will make a decision that they see enough that he will lead England to the World Cup in 2027," he told Your Site.

"Borthwick has beaten all the top sides but the worry for me is just the inability to go back to back. To go toe to toe and win consistently against the best sides, that's the question mark hanging over his head."

Tags:

rugby-union news

Share this article

Related Posts

Women's Six Nations: Meg Jones to captain new-look England with Haineala Lutui in line to make debut against Ireland at Twickenham

Women's Six Nations: Meg Jones to captain new-look England with Haineala Lutui in line to make debut against Ireland at Twickenham

Meg Jones leads an England team featuring seven survivors from September’s World Cup final victory over Canada for the launch of their Guinness Six Na...

England Red Roses announce squad for Women's Six Nations as Megan Jones captains side

England Red Roses announce squad for Women's Six Nations as Megan Jones captains side

England Red Roses head coach John Mitchell has named seven uncapped players in his 38-player squad ahead of the Women's Six Nations. Megan Jones takes...

Six Nations: Maro Itoje says England 'are going places' despite record fourth tournament loss but will Steve Borthwick remain in charge?

Six Nations: Maro Itoje says England 'are going places' despite record fourth tournament loss but will Steve Borthwick remain in charge?

Maro Itoje insists England "are going places" despite enduring their worst Six Nations campaign, while head coach Steve Borthwick remains adamant he i...

Six Nations: Will Greenwood expects RFU to stick with Steve Borthwick and lead England into 2027 World Cup

Six Nations: Will Greenwood expects RFU to stick with Steve Borthwick and lead England into 2027 World Cup

Former World Cup winner Will Greenwood says he expects England to stick with head coach Steve Borthwick despite a shocking Six Nations campaign.After...

Champions Cup: Northampton Saints edge Castres in high-scoring thriller to reach European quarter-finals

Champions Cup: Northampton Saints edge Castres in high-scoring thriller to reach European quarter-finals

Northampton reached the Champions Cup quarter-finals after a battling 49-41 win over Castres.French side Castres raced into a 12-0 lead after only 10...

Six Nations 2026 review: France's winning contradictions, England's optimistic loss, Scotland's eternal issue, Wales' relief, and Ireland's slip up

Six Nations 2026 review: France's winning contradictions, England's optimistic loss, Scotland's eternal issue, Wales' relief, and Ireland's slip up

It is being touted as the most entertaining Six Nations ever, and looking at the pre-tournament script compared to the end credits, you can see just w...