Stoic Borthwick aims for Six Nations sweep

After last year's Six Nations ended with strong performances in victory against Ireland and in narrow defeat against France, not even the most pessimistic of England supporters would have expected the side to win just two of their next seven matches – both against Japan.

But for whatever reason – bad luck, composure, mentality, game-management, all of the above – that's where England find themselves in 2025; short on wins, and the pressure on.

With the grassroots of the English game openly rebelling against the Rugby Football Union executive, the spotlight will focus on the senior men's side over the coming months.

England start this Six Nations how they finished it last time: Ireland followed by France. There is no hiding place.

And while it feels as if Twickenham is under siege from all sides – a Special General Meeting is planned for March, while the union has again defended itself after criticism from MPs this week – head coach Steve Borthwick was in stoic mood when he announced his Six Nations squad.

Borthwick insists he has not been distracted from the job in hand, and has had no edicts from his embattled bosses regarding either win targets or financial belt-tightening.

"At this point before the start of the tournament why would we not be going into every game aiming to win every game?" Borthwick told BBC Sport.

"It's what every England supporter would expect of me and the players and it's what we expect of ourselves.

"Ever since I have come into this role two years ago I have had nothing but support from the RFU about what we want to do.

"Our focus is about the Six Nations that is coming up, and how we get the performances and results we want to get."

Borthwick stressed all through the autumn that the team was progressing, and improving, and developing their identity, but he has made a big change ahead of the Championship, with Maro Itoje taking over the captaincy from Jamie George.

The reasoning makes sense: Itoje is four years George's junior, walks into the team, and is almost guaranteed to play 80 minutes.

But George is one of the most popular members of the squad and led the side with real class on and off the field. It is a big call.

There will also be strategic shifts.

Former assistant coach Felix Jones joined from South Africa 12 months ago and introduced a Springboks-style blitz defence.

Just when it looked as if it was it bearing fruit, Jones resigned abruptly.

As a consequence, the defence was a mess in the autumn, although Borthwick also referenced how many line-breaks England conceded against New Zealand in the summer, when Jones was in situ.

"To be really clear, we are a line-speed team," Borthwick said.

"I want the team coming off the line and putting the opposition under pressure. Will there be alterations and slight tweaks? Yes. There will be positional things that will be a little bit different."

With the ball, however, Borthwick has promised more of the same.

Having played little rugby in 2023, England opened up in 2024, with Borthwick vowing to persist with an attacking style in 2025.

"This is a team that has evolved over this last year and has continued to evolve," he said.

"I sense what the England supporters want to see is the England team continuing to move the ball and play with pace, because that is what gets them out of their seats."

With Ireland away followed by France at Twickenham – where Les Bleus scored 53 points on their last visit – England could find themselves winless going into the Calcutta Cup; a match they haven't won in five years. There is a danger it could unravel.

But equally England are clearly not far away – of their seven defeats last year, the biggest losing margin was nine points. A win at the Aviva, and England will have renewed confidence ahead of three games in a row at home and a final-day trip to beleaguered Wales.

As far as Six Nations openers go, the trip to Dublin doesn't come much bigger.