Steve Borthwick has insisted England are still in phase one of a major rebuilding job despite a five-try Six Nations win over Italy.
England dismissed the Azzurri in the tight exchanges, dominating the scrum, lineout and maul for their 31-14 victory at Twickenham.
The hosts scored four of their five tries up front, with Toulouse flanker Jack Willis claiming the opening score in a star turn at openside.
Borthwick has probably underplayed England’s tight game despite the Red Rose men winding up particularly underpowered last year at the end of Eddie Jones’ tenure. And despite massive strides forward against Italy’s solid pack, new head coach Borthwick still refused to accept what his side delivered.
“I sat in this chair eight weeks ago and said we have a lot to improve and lots to work on,” said Borthwick, recalling his first duties as head coach on December 19.
“One of those areas was definitely the set-piece. We’ve shown development in the scrum and the maul, but even then we still got turned over in one maul. And we lost the last scrum in a way that shouldn’t happen.
“Let’s be clear, I’m pleased, I’m really proud of the players but we’ve got to be better than that.
“That’s the first layer on rebuilding this team. We’re going to make mistakes, and I’m going to ask the players to cope with those mistakes and still find ways to win.”
Willis powered in for England’s first try before Ollie Chessum and Jamie George both capped further forward-based scores. A penalty try further encapsualted England’s dominance up front, before Henry Arundell came off the bench to sweep in on his return from a foot injury.
Italy claimed scores through Marco Riccioni and Alessandro Fusco, launching a stubborn second-half resistance, but England did the damage before the break.
Toulouse back-rower Willis triumphed to put two years of injury trouble and Wasps’ demise well and truly behind him, in a performance that surely earmarks him as the first flanker on the team sheet.
“I’m really pleased for Jack and his family because he’s been through a lot,” said Borthwick. “The injury, yes, but also this last year when he had to leave a club that he grew up at, and move overseas.
“I’ve been really impressed with him, and back-row is a really competitive area of our squad.”
Bath centre Ollie Lawrence was surplus to requirements under Borthwick’s predecessor Jones but now has a tangible chance to build a lasting Test career. The strike-running midfielder terrorised Italy throughout, leaving Borthwick to laud him for transferring club form to the Test arena.
“He’s been in tremendous form in the Premiership and in European rugby,” said Borthwick.
“I told him he’s earned his selection, I asked him to play in a manner that shows his strengths we see week on week for Bath and I think he did that.”
