Can Much-Changed England Compete with France and Ireland at the Six Nations?
They say that a change is as good as a rest, but for England head coach Steve Borthwick that old mantra will be an all-too literal test ahead of the Six Nations.
As many as seven of the squad who guided England to the World Cup semi-finals have now hung up their boots at international level, with Mako Vunipola making it a round half-dozen players who have immediately quit following the tournament in France.
The glass-half-full mindset would say that Borthwick is now afforded an opportunity to overhaul his ageing squad with new blood, but with minimal game-time between now and England’s Six Nations opener with Italy on February 3, the jury is out on whether he can fashion a winning machine in time for the tournament.
Playing Catch-Up
Fresh from their strong showing at the World Cup, in which they lost out to eventual champions South Africa by a single point, France unsurprisingly lead the way in the Six Nations odds from Paddy Power at 6/5.
Those placing their rugby bets will also be interested in Ireland, who pushed New Zealand hard in their World Cup quarter-final and who, of course, will be defending the Six Nations title they won in such spectacular fashion 12 months ago.
England, at odds of 5/1, are considered little more than dangerous outsiders by the bookmakers – partly due to their malaise in 2023, but perhaps more pertinently due to the rebuilding job Borthwick has on his hands.
Vunipola will join Jonny May, Dan Cole, Danny Care, Ben Youngs and Courtney Lawes in their watching brief, leaving Borthwick with gaps to fill throughout his starting XV.
The good news is that Ellis Genge should be fit to start in Rome as he steps up his recovery from a hamstring injury, so he should replace Cole in the line-up.
There’s a vacancy too at centre with Manu Tuilagi likely to miss the start of the Six Nations due to injury, while Joe Marchant’s switch to Stade Francais means he will not be considered for selection. Of those currently auditioning at club level, Henry Slade is expected to return after surprisingly being dumped from the World Cup squad.
Otherwise, there’s a strong chance that Borthwick will turn to uncapped alternatives – suggesting England’s 2023 Six Nations campaign will be more a development project, rather than one with silverware in mind.
Time to Move On
For Vunipola, there was little choice but to walk away from the international scene as his back injury continues to limit his time out on the field.
The Saracens prop has also suffered from ill-discipline this term – as evidenced by his December red card against Newcastle, so with some exciting new talents breaking through, the time was right for the 33-year-old to step aside.
“It’s been an honour to have represented my country, but all good things must come to an end,” he reflected.
There were hopes that he might postpone his retirement until later in the year, with Genge and Joe Marler – who will also hang up his boots in the near future – currently on the treatment table.
But the three-time Six Nations champion has confirmed he is done with international rugby, leaving Borthwick to find a replacement for a powerhouse prop who, while occasionally stepping over the line, never gave anything less than 100% for England.
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