Do England’s repeated failures mean Steve Borthwick’s system is flawed? | Robert Kitson

Head coach’s gameplan exploded in his face again against Australia. South Africa are next … do the players trust it?

One of the all-time great Wallaby Test victories has left England up a gum tree of their own making. Clearly Australia deserve huge praise for Saturday’s spectacular ram raid, topped off by a record for points scored in this fixture at Twickenham. For the home side, however, a recurring failure to close out big games is now the subject of mounting scrutiny.

Scoring five tries and 37 points, for instance, should be enough to win any Test match. But only last March England scored 31 points in Lyon and still lost to France. Yet another disturbing pattern is emerging, this time around their defensive solidity. It makes for cracking entertainment for neutrals, less so for those England fans who still have any hair left to pull out.

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Steve Borthwick retains full support of RFU despite England’s losing streak

  • England have won just four of 10 Tests in 2024
  • Under-pressure coach has “100%” backing from RFU

The England head coach, Steve Borthwick, retains the unequivocal support of the Rugby Football Union despite four consecutive defeats, the Guardian understands.

England have won just four of their 10 Test matches in 2024 and have lost six of their last seven matches against tier one opposition. On Saturday they conceded a record number of points against Australia at Twickenham, again snatching defeat from the jaws of victory in losing 42-37. Since Borthwick took charge in December 2022, they have a 50% winning record.

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Ruthless Kangaroos hold off Tonga to win men’s Pacific Championships final

  • Australia claim Pacific Cup with 20-14 victory at CommBank Stadium
  • Tom Trbojevic runs in two tries in front of mostly pro-Tongan crowd

Australia have shown a ruthless edge to rise above the sea of red and hold off Tonga in a 20-14 Pacific Cup final win.

In front of a 28,728-strong pro-Tongan crowd at CommBank Stadium on Sunday, the Kangaroos made amends for last year’s final where they suffered the biggest defeat in their history at the hands of New Zealand. Led by an impressive showing from five-eighth Tom Dearden and a two-try haul from Tom Trbojevic, Mal Meninga’s Kangaroos showed a calmness and maturity to capitalise off Tonga’s errors and seal victory.

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Australia’s Jillaroos thrash New Zealand to win women’s Pacific Championship final

  • Australia beat New Zealand 24-4 to clinch Pacific Cup
  • Jillaroos avenge defeat to Kiwi Ferns in last year’s decider

Australia have reasserted their status as the heavyweights of international women’s rugby league, thrashing New Zealand 24-4 in the Pacific Cup final as revenge for last year’s decider.

The pressure was on the Jillaroos this Pacific Championships following that shock loss to the Kiwi Ferns in the 2023 final, and some controversial selection calls since.

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Nayacalevu back to fire the Flying Fijians

Fiji coach Mick Byrne has told his players he doesn’t want a repeat of the nightmarish start his side experienced against Scotland when they face Wales at the Principality Stadium in round two of the Autumn Nations Series. Up against it from the start with none of their overseas stars playing in France and England […]

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Anscombe ready to steer Wales once again

Gareth Anscombe believes the new look Welsh team can build the momentum required to break the chain of recent results. The 33-year-old outside half will make his first appearance for Wales since Rugby World Cup 2023 when he starts on Sunday at Principality Stadium, in tandem with his Gloucester half-back partner Tomos Williams, and is […]

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Springboks fail to win hearts with brutal brand of rugby facing Scotland

There will be no love lost between rivals in reruns of World Cup pool matches also including Wales against Fiji

A 50-point frolic against the Fiji second team this will not be. Scotland welcome the Springboks, champions of the southern hemisphere, champions of the world, champions of the sort of rugby to make grown men cower, to Edinburgh on Sunday – and they know this is when it gets ­horribly serious.

It has been faintly amusing, faintly absurd, to watch South Africa’s head coach, Rassie Erasmus, try to mount a charm offensive during the week, all touchy-feely, we-want-to-be-loved one minute, all seven-one-split-on-the-bench, hear-our-roar the next. The Springboks know how to win rugby matches; it seems winning hearts is their next directive.

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