Borthwick: We must improve discipline

ENGLAND head coach Steve Borthwick warned his side to be squeaky clean in New Zealand after a disciplinary horror show in Japan.

- ADAM HATHAWAY

Borthwick’s team beat the Brave Blossoms 52-17 in a furnace at the National Stadium in Tokyo yesterday but had Charlie Ewels sent off after 74 minutes. The lock now has the unwanted distinction of being the first Englishman to be dismissed twice and he has done it in his last two matches.

Ewels was sent off after two minutes against Ireland at Twickenham in 2022 and it happened again here for a dangerous clearout on Japan captain Michael Leitch seven minutes after he came off the bench.

England also coughed up 15 penalties – three in the first six minutes – and had Marcus Smith yellow carded for a late tackle.

The England squad fly to New Zealand tomorrow for Tests in Dunedin, on 6 July, and Auckland a week later with Borthwick urging his players to keep their noses clean.

Borthwick said: “The performance level will need to rise as we face New Zealand. The discipline….you can’t give that number of penalties away, we know that. You can’t give New Zealand the space we gave Japan today.