Why England need to prove they have class, not just form ahead of the Six Nations

When Steve Borthwick took the England head coach role from Eddie Jones, the Red Rose were not in a good position.

England’s 2023 Six Nations campaign was a disaster, only just scraping wins against Italy and Wales, while suffering a record loss to France in Twickenham.

Flash forward four years, though, and Borthwick’s side is the best it has ever been.

After a tight loss to Ireland in last year’s Six Nations, the men in white had one of their best years on record, winning all 11 other games they played.

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From rebuild to genuine contenders?

These wins weren’t exactly against easy opponents either; France, Argentina, Australia and New Zealand were all battered and bruised by the thorn of England’s rose.

The blitz defence, which had shown signs of working but was too messy, has finally been ironed out, becoming more of a hybrid style under Joe El-Abd, where the line will only rush if an opportunity arises.

Combine this with one of the deepest selections of backs the country has ever had, and the likes of George Ford being the most complete he’s ever been, there is a real balance in the side.

A balance you only typically see in world-beating teams.

Are the warning signs being glossed over?

But a question still remains – are England now back to being an international powerhouse? Or have they just discovered a rich vein of form due to run out at any time?

Looking below the surface of their superb 2025, there were still some cracks.

For example, their aforementioned victory against Los Pumas in the Quilter Nations Series was made far more stressful than it needed to be, after conceding a try with only seconds to spare, then very nearly conceding another immediately after.

Their victory against France was also largely thanks to the Great British weather and an extremely rare Antoine Dupont off day.

Can Wales provide a real test in the opener?

Now, of course, this doesn’t mean that this team wasn’t as good as it looked; even the World Cup-winning team in 2003 had hiccups, such as their loss to France only weeks before the tournament.

What it does mean is that England need to prove the hype in this Six Nations.

Their opening game against an injury-hit Wales side will be the biggest tell. This is a game which should be won convincingly if you compare the state of the nations.

A sharp contrast to England, Steve Tandy’s men only won a single game throughout 2025. Combine this with the current state of domestic rugby in Wales, and all signs point to another struggle year.

Is this Six Nations England’s moment to prove their worth?

England will be looking to run riot at the Allianz Stadium, and frankly, any less than a comfortable bonus point victory will raise questions as to how strong this side really is.

A decade on from England’s most recent grand slam, there has never been a bigger opportunity to add another.

The Red Rose have sprouted up at the perfect time, right as Ireland looks to be fading and Fabien Galthié’s France is switching things up.

The door is well and truly open, Borthwick and co just need to sprint through it, proving to everyone that their time is now.

READ MORE: Six Nations preview: France v Ireland – Why this opener could determine who takes the crown