Eddie Jones: England Should Back Steve Borthwick

Former England head coach Eddie Jones has urged the Rugby Football Union not to sack Steve Borthwick after a disappointing Six Nations campaign. England finished fifth, their worst result in the tournament, with a dramatic 48-46 defeat to France and only a round-one victory over Wales to show for the competition.

The RFU is preparing a review of England’s performance, but Borthwick retains support from his players and from RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney. Speaking on the Rugby Unity podcast, Jones said now is not the time for another coaching change. “Steve’s done a good job with England,” he said, while acknowledging the team had a poor tournament and Borthwick must explain what went wrong and how he will fix it.

Jones argued the RFU should back Borthwick through the recovery phase. He suggested the head coach may have made mistakes that need correcting, but removing him would be “foolhardy.” Jones also said England are still searching for a clear identity on the field and hinted there may be internal tensions among players about how the team should play.

Former World Cup winner Will Greenwood has expressed a similar view, expecting the RFU to keep faith with Borthwick. Greenwood anticipates Borthwick will remain in charge for the upcoming Nations Championship — which begins against South Africa on July 3 — and continue to shape England’s route to the 2027 World Cup in Australia. Greenwood acknowledged Borthwick has beaten the top sides, but raised concerns about England’s inability to follow up big wins consistently: the key question, he said, is whether the team can go toe-to-toe and win repeatedly against the elite nations.