England's 31-20 loss to Scotland and 42-21 defeat by Ireland have left the team in fourth place in the Six Nations standings, with just one win against Wales to show for their efforts. The manner of these defeats has raised serious questions about Borthwick's tactics and his team's mentality.
Borthwick had previously talked about the upcoming game against France as a possible title decider, but instead, England now needs points from away games against Italy and France to even finish mid-table. "We are on a journey of development that has a lot of growth in it," Borthwick acknowledged after the Ireland defeat, while experts criticized England's inability to adapt during games and their poor starts.