Maro Itoje has reiterated his support for head coach Steve Borthwick, saying he believes England can still achieve “special things” under his leadership despite a disappointing Six Nations.
England’s campaign collapsed as they finished fifth, losing four successive matches, including a first-ever international defeat to Italy. RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney has indicated Borthwick will be given the summer tour in the inaugural Nations Championship to try to engineer a turnaround.
If Borthwick produces an acceptable return from July fixtures against South Africa, Fiji and Argentina, he would be in a position to see his contract through to its scheduled expiry after the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.
Itoje, who captained England during the period, acknowledged the team underperformed after entering the Six Nations on an 11-Test winning streak, but said he still trusts the coach and his staff to reverse their fortunes.
“We believe in what we’re doing,” Itoje told Sky Sports at the Football Black List event. “Steve is a great coach — Wiggy [Richard Wigglesworth], Kev [Kevin Sinfield], Joe [Joe Shaw], Lee [Lee Blackett] — all great coaches. We just need to get together as a team, learn the lessons and move positively forward. We weren’t as successful as we wanted to be, but how I felt at the beginning of the tournament doesn’t change now. I have a lot of faith, a lot of belief in this England team, and I think this England team is going to go on to do special things. It’s just about us learning the lessons and moving forward.”
England’s Six Nations results
– England 48-7 Wales
– Scotland 31-20 England
– England 21-42 Ireland
– Italy 23-18 England
– France 48-46 England
2026 Six Nations: Final standings
– France: P5 W4 D0 L1 PD+81 B4 Pts20
– Ireland: P5 W4 D0 L1 PD+38 B3 Pts19
– Scotland: P5 W3 D0 L2 PD-1 B4 Pts16
– Italy: P5 W2 D0 L3 PD-38 B1 Pts9
– England: P5 W1 D0 L4 PD+2 B4 Pts8
– Wales: P5 W1 D0 L4 PD-82 B2 Pts6
England’s Nations Championship fixtures
– Round One, July 4: South Africa vs England
– Round Two, July 11: Fiji vs England
– Round Three, July 18: Argentina vs England
– Round Four, November 8: England vs Australia
– Round Five, November 14: England vs Japan
– Round Six, November 21: England vs New Zealand