England head into the 2023 Six Nations tournament with a major point to prove ahead of their bid to win the World Cup later this year.
With Steve Borthwick replacing Eddie Jones as head coach, England fans have renewed optimism following what has been a difficult period for the national team.
Having won the Six Nations in 2020, it would be fair to say that England have massively underperformed in each of the last two editions.
Despite struggling to produce their best form, many leading bookmakers are tipping Borthwick to lead a strong England challenge this time around.
The top betting sites in the UK rate England as third favourites to lift the trophy and there are plenty of reasons to believe they can get the job done.
England Six Nations 2023 Fixtures
- vs Scotland (H) – February 4
- vs Italy (H) – February 12
- vs Wales (A) – February 25
- vs France (H) – March 11
- vs Ireland (A) – March 18
England Six Nations 2023 Preview
While Jones is undoubtedly a top-class coach, he was increasingly guilty of overcomplicating his tactics towards the end of his tenure.
Borthwick is likely to take a more simplistic approach by concentrating on set-piece plays, energy in the backline and feeding on the passion from the crowd.
Defence coach Kevin Sinfield is an excellent appointment and the type of individual who could inspire England's players to succeed.
Borthwick's strength lies in his ability to organise rugby set-pieces – an element he utilised extremely effectively when coaching at club level.
Recalling veteran Leicester Tigers star Dan Cole strongly indicates where Borthwick will be concentrating his efforts during the Six Nations.
Cole's numbers under Borthwick at Leicester were extremely impressive and he will play an integral role in England's set-pieces.
Resolving the situation regarding players who have joined clubs overseas is another area Borthwick must address ahead of the Six Nations.
Jones refused to pick players based in France or Japan due to the lack of training time they were able to undertake with the national team.
Zach Mercer was one of the biggest casualties after joining Montpelier, and his omission from the squad has negatively impacted England's performances.
With Mercer set to sign for Gloucester for the 2023/24 season, the time is right for Borthwick to ditch Jones' policy and welcome the 25-year-old back into the fold.
Finding an attacking balance will also be crucial to England's hopes of turning their fortunes around under Borthwick.
They are spoilt for choice in the number 10 role, with George Ford, Owen Farrell and Marcus Smith all capable of being game-changers in that position.
Ford or Farrell are the most likely options to be given the nod, and both can expect to have players selected around them who will help them shine.
Regardless of the playing personnel involved, Borthwick's simplistic approach should ensure England perform much better at the Six Nations.
Whether that will be enough to win the tournament is debatable, but it would be no surprise to see his methods have a positive impact on the team heading into the World Cup.
