Rugby Union Weekly Six Nations: England’s Italian Job
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Mar 2, 2026 Ollie Chessum, England international forward, talks mindset, regrouping and intensity after recent setbacks. Steve Borthwick, England head coach, outlines performance review, selection dilemmas and plans to raise training intensity. They discuss tactical tweaks for Rome, finishing chances, front-foot tempo and whether experience or change will steady the team.
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Experience Needed To Steady In-Game Decisions
- Lack of in-game leadership and decision-making under pressure has stopped England wresting momentum back, unlike earlier periods under the same management.
- Danny Care argued experience such as Elliot Daly and Henry Slade could be reintroduced to steady the side.
Three Clear Causes Behind England's Collapse
- England's recent problems cluster into three clear issues: missed scoring chances, turnovers creating unstructured defence, and a drop in team intensity.
- Steve Borthwick highlighted the first 20 minutes vs Ireland as decisive and said those factors compounded into scoreboard pressure that changed the game.
Push Training Intensity But Monitor Fatigue
- Increase training intensity selectively to restore the trademark energy while monitoring player readiness to avoid fatigue.
- Borthwick said players returned to camp determined to drive training levels further and capture lessons from the review.