Time is right for improved England to take next step

Steve Borthwick's efficient side come into an ideal first Six Nations match on searing form, wites Harry Latham-Coyle

- Harry Latham-Coyle

It is curious how quickly the narrative can swing. Late in 2025, senior executives at England's Rugby Football Union (RFU) were reflecting on that very fact as they assessed a year that began in chaos and ended with an altogether rosier feel around Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium.

The buildup to last year’s Six Nations had been dominated by the reaction to the reporting of a record loss at the union, and the resultant cacophonous calls for change. England’s men, still the primary revenue driver for the RFU, had endured a year of struggles, including an autumn of discontent in 2024 during which they contrived to lose at least two games they could, or perhaps should, have won. In round one of last year’s Six Nations, Steve Borthwick took his side to Dublin and saw them well beaten, with recurrent flaws all too readily apparent.

The catalyst for improvement came thanks to a sloppy showing from France, with a collection of dropped balls and missed opportunities, and England’s contrasting efficiency, providing the first of what became 11 consecutive wins. For Bill Sweeney, the beleaguered chief executive facing a vote of no confidence, it was certainly welcome; there are those who wonder if the CEO would have survived had a strong Six Nations campaign not provided a dose of positivity, one that rolled into a triumphant Women’s World Cup.