England captain Maro Itoje has publicly reaffirmed his squad’s support for head coach Steve Borthwick following a commanding 45-22 victory over Australia at Allianz Stadium on Sunday. Despite recent media speculation regarding internal unhappiness within the camp, Itoje defended his coach, describing him as a world-class professional whom the players feel fortunate to work with. England beat Australia 45-22 in Nations Championship.
Addressing reports that emerged last week criticizing Borthwick’s man-management, Itoje expressed clear disagreement with the negative portrayal of the regime. Having worked under Borthwick since 2016, the captain noted that the character described in media reports does not align with the mentor he knows. Itoje highlighted that Borthwick’s positive influence extends well beyond the current England setup, citing his respected tenure with the British & Irish Lions in 2017. If you speak to some of the guys on the 2017 [British & Irish] Lions tour they’ll tell you about the impact Steve had on them. The article doesn’t represent the environment I recognise. Those guys aren’t English, I’m talking about the Irish and Welsh guys.
Itoje emphasized that the squad accepts responsibility for their performances, noting that external criticism is often unfairly directed at the coach. He stated that the players remain fully committed to Borthwick, who guided the team to seven tries during the match, marking their third win in eight outings. So, yeah, I’m delighted that we were able to get the win.
Borthwick confirmed that he received several messages from former England coaches advising him to ignore external noise and focus entirely on the game. He maintained that recent reports were an inaccurate reflection of his management style. While Borthwick expressed pride in the team’s performance, he added that he believes there is significant room for improvement, noting that the squad still possesses another gear to reach. According to borthwick also insisted that the report was “not an accurate reflection” of his regime and, A number of coaches with Test experience had been in touch. There’s been times where we haven’t quite done that which has put a bit of pressure on him.
The match saw notable individual contributions, particularly from Henry Pollock, who stepped in as a makeshift wing and secured two tries. However, the victory came with fitness concerns; Exeter winger Manny Feyi-Waboso is scheduled for an ankle scan after leaving the pitch early, and centre Seb Atkinson is currently being evaluated for a hip injury. The team is now awaiting medical updates ahead of their upcoming fixture against Japan. Who lasted only 40 minutes and requires a scan on an injured ankle, while the centre Seb Atkinson sustained a blow to his hip, the biggest doubt surrounds the Exeter wing Manny Feyi‑Waboso. According to “We now have to bear Henry Pollock saying that playing on the wing is easy,” Borthwick, Wryly. “He was excellent but the downside is that we’ll now hear a lot about it.”.
Australia head coach Les Kiss acknowledged his side’s lackluster performance, specifically noting their failure to compete during the first half. While he credited England for their clinical approach, Kiss admitted the Wallabies must find a stronger response for their next clash against Scotland. The match serves as a crucial point of reflection for the team, as they look to address their shortcomings before the tournament continues. “What I will say is that in the last couple of days a number of my predecessors have reached out,” the England head coach said. “I won’t name who they are, but … the basic gist of it was: ‘Been there, got the T-shirt, fo. We can’t just sit back on our heels and cop that and not have a response somewhere.”.
