Borthwick's reign in ruins after Ireland humiliation

AFTER a hammering at Murrayfield was followed by humiliation at Twickenham, England coach Steve Borthwick might well be contemplating the famous line by Scottish poet Robbie Burns:

- MIKE GREENAWAY

The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.The England empire Borthwick thought he was building indeed lies in tatters after Ireland humiliated the home team at the weekend by a record score of 41-21, rubbing salt into the wounds inflicted by Scotland the week before in Edinburgh. England’s much-talked-about sequence of 12 consecutive wins has turned into two consecutive heavy losses, and the talk that the team were on course to emulate their 2003 World Cup win next year in Australia has faded into deafening silence.

Lawrence Dallaglio, one of England’s greatest players and the No 8 when Australia were beaten in the 2003 final, wrote in The Sunday Times: “England got bashed to pieces.

“You could have been forgiven for thinking that the fire alarm was going off in the second half, because English supporters were heading for the exits in their droves. I can’t remember a match in which the difference between expectation and reality has been so great.”

Well put, Mr Dallaglio.