England had a bad autumn and a disappointing year, so there is a sense of urgency now about sparking a vital revival.
Steve Borthwick earned some breathing space when Japan were put to the sword to round out the campaign, but the pressure on his regime will become suffocating again if the daunting Six Nations opener against Ireland in Dublin on the first day of February goes badly wrong.
It won’t get any easier after that when the free-flowing French and a Scotland team who have not lost to England since before the Covid lockdowns come to Twickenham.
Knocking over Italy in round four will not be the simple task it used to be, either, before rounding out the championship in Cardiff on March 15.
So, what needs to be done in the next two months to prevent England’s slide becoming a slump? Here, Mail Sport look at eight key issues – and how to fix them, fast.
Leadership
This is a tricky subject, but Borthwick will grasp the need for a captaincy succession plan. Jamie George is 34 now and will turn 37 during the next World Cup. If the head coach expects the hooker to hand over the baton to a younger man during this four-year cycle, it is imperative that the situation does not drift for too long.
A new contender could come into the reckoning if he can get fit and stay fit: Ollie Chessum. The Leicester forward must be in the starting XV at lock or blindside. He can play a full 80 minutes, is a smart player and a strong communicator.
Maro Itoje has the air of someone auditioning for the role, but it might be best to leave him to focus on being a supreme individual asset.
There is plenty for Steve Borthwick to chew over ahead of the Six Nations early next year
England have endured a difficult autumn and a disappointing year under Borthwick overall
Finding a new leader to succeed 34-year-old captain Jamie George is an important priority
Ellis Genge is the other primary option. He is settled again in England’s No 1 shirt and has pedigree from leading Leicester to a Premiership title.
But there is something to be said for installing a relatively young figurehead with authority, like Chessum, who is 24, so that he can make the job his own for a decade, in theory.
Continuity is helpful in forging a clear identity for the team, which in turn should aid their quest for improvement.
Selection
The status of some players was enhanced in their absence. Chessum is one of those, Northampton scrum-half Alex Mitchell is another. Both should come back into the first-choice XV against Ireland.
This column would vouch for the Marcus Smith-Ollie Lawrence 10-12 axis if the pair are allowed time to become instinctively aligned. But it might be time to allow a challenge to Henry Slade at outside centre.
Having recalled him to the training squad, it would make sense to allow Alex Lozowski of Saracens a chance as the playmaker No 13. In addition, the RFU should move heaven and earth to help bring Joe Marchant back from Paris.
If Chessum starts, Chandler Cunningham-South can act as an explosive impact sub. The same could be said about Tom Willis as a powerhouse No 8 capable of keeping Ben Earl on his toes, or ultimately forcing Borthwick to relocate him.
It would also be good to see Bristol flier Gabriel Ibitoye involved, to add an unorthodox, X-factor running threat.
The status of Northampton Saints’ scrum-half Alex Mitchell has enhanced during his absence
The same can certainly be said for England’s and Leicester Tigers’ injured lock Ollie Chessum
Foreign policy
It is not only Marchant who could enhance the England team if available for selection again.
Jack Willis, Henry Arundell and Junior Kpoku are others in that category and it would have been an affront to national honour if the latter rookie was allowed to defect to France, while employed by Racing 92 in Paris.
The RFU’s policy of not picking players from foreign clubs has an exceptional-circumstances clause. Well, England are seventh in the world and most clubs are suffering from acute financial hardship, meaning they cannot spend heavily on recruitment. How’s that for exceptional?
Willis would add so much breakdown clout. England could do with some of that right now.
Ditch the blitz
The defensive approach is just not working. Having hired him in a hurry, it is time to allow Joe El-Abd — whenever he is next free from his day-job duties at French club Oyonnax — to set up a framework that suits him and the team, not just inherit and try to work with someone else’s high-risk system.
Felix Jones is not coming back and without him the desperate pursuit of extreme line-speed is unravelling. It is simply too alien to too many of squad, who operate within different systems at their clubs.
Maybe reconsider it during the long run-up to a World Cup, but now is not the time for rushing up, creating dog-legs and being picked apart at will.
It is time to allow defence coach Joe El-Abd to set up a framework that suits him and the team
Fit for purpose
England need to properly replace Aled Walters, the Welsh fitness guru who chose to jump ship to join Ireland.
Fitness misgivings, linked to the high-intensity blitz, mean this has become a priority, to guard against last-quarter fade, which has been a recurring theme.
If Phil Morrow cannot be seconded from Saracens due to conflict-of-interest concerns, Borthwick and the RFU must narrow their search for someone else, soon.
Whoever comes in will need time to work out how much control they can exert through the terms of the new club-country PGP deal. Like everything else in English rugby, it is a complex riddle.
De-clutter
There are still too many times when England appear heavily scripted and prescriptive.
There have been flashes of instinctive brilliance, but also periods in autumn when Borthwick’s side appeared to be fixated on following programmed orders.
The coaches have to step back and let it breathe a bit. Don’t cram vast amounts of detail into every waking moment in camp.
Trust the players to embrace a heads-up, off-the-cuff approach more often and, if they are unable to do so, others must be found who can.
England need to release the shackles as there have been times where their play has appeared heavily scripted
Borthwick’s side seemed to be fixated on following programmed orders too often during their Autumn Nations clashes
Send for back-up
There is still a compelling argument for adding someone with real gravitas to the England hierarchy, a major rugby figure to act as a sounding board for Borthwick and provide support.
At times it feels as if the inexperienced coaching staff are gripped by tension around big occasions, so it would be helpful to have someone else there in the background, or occasionally front-of-house when required.
They should try to talk Martin Johnson into it. It won’t happen, but it would have a huge impact and put the fear of God into other nations.
Reinforce the bridge
Many more England A fixtures would help, in addition to the planned one against the Irish in February. Those matches are so valuable as a bridge between club rugby and the Test arena.
Fin Baxter and Asher Opoku-Fordjour have been integrated into the senior set-up after playing for the second string.
Next, Borthwick will surely want to find a way to fast-track the giant Afolabi Fasogbon and fellow England Under 20 prop Billy Sela too.
That way they can finally stop having to use Dan Cole as a crutch, after nearly 15 years of sterling service to his country.
England should try to talk Martin Johnson into taking a role to act as a sounding board
Etzebeth and Erasmus should feel hard done-by
World Rugby’s annual awards tend to polarise opinion, but this year there has been a widespread consensus that they are just wrong. Well, two of them anyway.
All Blacks flanker Wallace Sititi was named Breakthrough Player of the Year and that was indisputably the right call by the judging panel.
But the top gongs did not go to the most deserving candidates. Pieter-Steph du Toit was named Player of the Year for a second time and he was outstanding as usual, but he – like everyone else in the sport – has lived in the giant shadow of Eben Etzebeth in 2024.
The Springbok lock was utterly imperious throughout this calendar year and the fact that he was overlooked is a travesty, as was Rassie Erasmus – mastermind of South Africa’s global supremacy – losing out in the Coach of the Year category to Jerome Daret.
The Frenchman was at the helm of the Sevens campaign which led to Gallic gold at their home Olympics but, let’s face it, once he had Antoine Dupont on board, he could just sit back and enjoy the show.
Erasmus can feel hard done-by, not that he’ll care – especially as no prop has ever been shortlisted for the Player of the Year prize, which is ample proof that the whole event is a glitzy farce.
Twickenham chaos is a put-off
Twickenham now has a title sponsor who are willing to pay a fortune to be associated with an iconic sporting venue, but it would be quite understandable if they want to distance themselves from the mess and chaos outside the walls of the national stadium.
In their wisdom, the RFU opted against developing a new home in a more suitable greenfield site in the Midlands, which would have had better access for the whole of the country.
Eben Etzebeth should have been given the Player of the Year award by World Rugby – but lost out to a team-mate
So, instead, the whole of the country are stuck with the logistical nightmare of trying to enter and leave a congested, residential neighbourhood in south west London, with infrastructure which is not fit for purpose.
Trains and nearby stations were dangerously over-crowded ahead of the England vs Japan game, and anyone hoping for a post-match rail escape from Twickenham has to contend with kettling and a drawn-out crush to reach the platforms.
Roads are closed and there is gridlock all around. Given that level of matchday hassle and the exorbitant ticket prices, no wonder many people have been put off entirely…
The Last Word
It was a grim November for Wales, but not for all Welshmen. Scotland’s statement 27-13 win against a resurgent Australia had Steve Tandy’s fingerprints all over it.
The former Ospreys player and coach has forged a stellar reputation as part of Gregor Townsend’s management team after a stint with the Waratahs in Sydney, and the victory must go down as one of his finest hours.
Australia had run amok against England and Wales, but were unable to break the shackles in the face of the resolute, defiant, swarming Scots. Wallabies full back Tom Wright had the freedom of Twickenham and Cardiff, but he was emphatically shut down.
Time and time again, Scotland scrambled heroically and held the line when they looked set to be breached.
Tandy is surely destined to be in demand for another tour as the Lions’ defensive guru, to reprise his involvement in 2021.
And when Warren Gatland leaves his post as Wales boss, Tandy is regarded as a leading homegrown candidate to fill the void.
