The pressure is on for England as Steve Borthwick begins his tenure just nine months out from the 2023 Rugby World Cup, but he and his squad aren't looking beyond the upcoming Six Nations.
Expectations remain high for the Red Rose despite winning just five of their 13 games in 2022, having finished as runners-up to South Africa in the last World Cup final four years ago. And while there's an inevitable hunger to go one better in France later this year, Borthwick and his men aren't looking past their Six Nations opener on February 4.
"I think it is 100 per cent about being ready to play against Scotland," the new England chief told Mirror Sport at the Guinness Six Nations launch when asked how his focus is divided between winning games now and preparing for the World Cup later down the line. "And I think that's the right thing, because I think the players deserve it.
"Players deserve the opportunity to be best prepared for that game. I think our supporters expect that. When you watch a game, you're wanting to see the team go play their hearts out and not thinking about something in the future, what might be or what might not be."
Eddie Jones' departure from the England team in December was largely attributed to his obsession with World Cup preparation. The Australian—who has since been restored as Wallabies head coach—insisted England were 'on the right track' to compete for the crown in France, but a lack of results in the present prevented him from testing that theory.
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"When the players pull that shirt on and go out and play, that's all I ask them to do," continued the incumbent. "We're gonna have a plan, yes, and then they'll have to adapt the plan within the context of the games. Just play your heart out [and] do the very best you can. That's all I ask of you."
The ex-Bath and Saracens lock met up with his England squad for the first time on Monday ahead of a five-day training camp at Pennyhill Park. With barely a week to go before they open the Six Nations at home to Scotland, it leaves little time for the new staff—including defence coach Kevin Sinfield and attack coach Nick Evans—to impress their blueprint.
England are coming off the back of two disappointing Six Nations championships, having accrued just four wins from their last possible 10 in the tournament. Former 57-cap lock Borthwick added he 'regrets a lot of things' from his playing career and is adamant his players don't hang up their boots with the same sense of sorrow.
“Would I like to rewind the clock and go back and try and do it again? Yeah, I would," clarified the coach, who led Leicester Tigers to a Premiership title in just his season as a head coach. "I can’t unfortunately because I’m old and can’t do it, as Owen keeps reminding me.
“I want to help these young guys not make the mistakes I made. When they’re old and have no hair like me, I want them to not have regrets. I don’t want them looking back thinking ‘I wish I’d done that or I could have done that’. I want them to have a real go.”
Getting underway on February 4, Round 1 of GUINNESS SIX NATIONS 2023 will see Wales host Ireland in the first head-to-head of the series, before England host their Scottish rivals in a battle for the Calcutta Cup.
