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'Borthwick to the job centre' - England fans rage over latest collapse
By Ian Cameron
England’s 29-20 defeat to South Africa at Allianz Stadium has sparked a strong reaction on social media as Steve Borthwick’s side succumbed to their fifth successive loss.
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Another Saturday, another soul-sapping late collapse for the men in white.
While the Boks delivered an imperfect performance, criticism of England’s coaching and tactics dominated the online conversation on X.
The match admittedly started well for England. The excellent Marcus Smith orchestrated an early try for Ollie Sleightholme with a moment of creativity that left the Springboks scrambling.
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However, two tries from Cheslin Kolbe and one for Grant Williams proved enough to hand Borthwick his third defeat of the Autumn Nations Series.
“Everyone in this camp is incredibly disappointed,” Borthwick told TNT after the match. “It’s terribly frustrating for all of us. Every England fan will be terribly frustrated.”
While England have now run the All Blacks, the Wallabies and the Springboks close, fans are starting to lose patience with an England team that seems incapable of getting over the finish line, with final-quarter collapse becoming depressingly familiar.
Borthwick’s apparent lack of tactical nous came under fire on X, with many fans now openly questioning his ability to take England forward.
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RugbyPass writer Neil Fissler wrote: “I’m almost certain the only things keeping Steve Borthwick in a job is the lack of an obvious replacement and a reluctance to pay him off… England’s win ratio under Borthwick is worse than my success ratio on Tinder.”
One user wrote: “Steve Borthwick is the most unconvincing person ever. If that’s your coach, it’s understandable why you fail to win. He’s about as inspiring as a traffic cone.” Another added: “Sorry but I just don’t think Borthwick is the coach to take this group forward. Too many comfortable players, dead wood, and not using the talent that is there.”
The coaching setup also faced scrutiny from fans who cited England’s inability to adapt during games. One commenter noted: “5 defeats in a row. If Eddie [Jones] was in charge, we’d be asking for his blood. Time for Borthwick and all his coaching team to go. Absolutely dire.”
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Despite the loss, Marcus Smith earned widespread praise for his dynamic start to the match. One fan observed: “Marcus Smith is having one hell of a game. With that in mind, I fully expect Borthwick to drop another coaching masterclass and sub him at 55 minutes.”
Others pointed to Smith’s recent form as reason for hope, with one user stating: “No matter the run of defeats, I would rather watch Borthwick’s England than Eddie Jones’s. Marcus Smith has been magnificent these last three weeks. Hope England will now trust him more in the future.”
Opinions were split on England’s overall progress, with some fans pointing out the team’s lack of depth and unresolved issues in key positions.
“England aren’t far away. Lacking a top-quality tighthead,” wrote one fan. “Also missing Alex Mitchell. However, not convinced about Borthwick & something not right in the camp after Alex Walters and Felix Jones walked out.”
Others took a more forgiving stance, noting the quality of the opposition and England’s structural challenges. One fan commented: “The 7th best team in the world lost by 9 points to the best. I’ll take that. It’s literally about strength in depth. That ain’t Borthwick’s fault.”
The defeat leaves England with one final chance to salvage their autumn campaign, as they prepare to face Eddie Jones’ Japan next weekend. A likely victory against the Brave Blossom – who have never beaten England – will prevent an autumn whitewash, but questions marks over when Borthwick’s England will start delivering will remain.
Watch the highly acclaimed five-part documentary Chasing the Sun 2, chronicling the journey of the Springboks as they strive to successfully defend the Rugby World Cup, free on RugbyPass TV (*unavailable in Africa)
SB looks like what he is - a relatively inexperienced head coach who has been promoted to an international role too early, and critically seems to have been allowed to assemble a group of similarly inexperienced assistant coaches around him who may not challenge him enough. If this group is to stay in place, and there is an argument that England need some continuity at this point, then I suggest some sort of "coach mentor" needs to come in to steer them and challenge them to make better decisions. I can think of plenty of experienced coaches out there who could tick the box, albeit none of them are English, but frankly I don't care about their nationality.
He absolutely needs an outside influence, he's surrounded himself with yes men. Probably because he lacks confidence as an international coach. His coaching setup is a shambles. England need continuity but honestly, more than continuity, they need a new head coach. Borthwick could stay on as forwards coach but there's no way we're winning a world cup with him at the helm. He lacks experience, confidence and imagination.