England have never been the same since Saracens relegation in 2020.
That is the view of former Ireland winger/full-back Luke Fitzgerald who was speaking exclusively to us here at BoyleSports ahead of the England v Ireland Six Nations clash this Saturday evening.
In this interview, Fitzgerald explained why it is that he thinks England have regressed since Saracens’ demotion 4 years ago plus he makes a bold claim about how long Steve Borthwick may have left as England Head Coach and declared why Ireland’s Felix Jones will be a massive success in the England set up.
England Have Never Been the Same Since Saracens’ Relegation
We are still seeing the results of Saracens’ demise and the capitulation there. They were England’s Leinster if you like in terms of players feeding into the group.
Once Saracens were demoted, England were never the same. The Vunipola brothers never looked the same again, Itoje hasn’t hit the heights since. These were key guys. Farrell has now gone too. They have never recovered.
Those four guys are unbelievably physical guys who you could build a team around.
And then Tuilagi has been injured a lot. He has been a massive player but hasn’t been able to get a straight run in the team.
So, there are a lot of things working against Borthwick. The problem for him is whether there are clear replacements for those players. And at the moment you don’t really think so. Dan Cole is still there holding up the scrum.
It is a difficult period for English rugby. They are going to have to ride this out, but can they stay patient? The expectations around an England team is that they are at least competitive.
For the last two years they have looked and played like a two-win team. That is not good enough for a country with their resources and the quality that is there.
*Ireland are -12-point favourites against England per our rugby betting odds at BoyleSports.
Steve Borthwick May Not Make It To The Autumn Internationals
I think the England fans might be a bit discontented and disconnected with the team at the moment. Are they seeing enough progress? I don’t think so, especially from an attack perspective.
My sense is that the country wants to see some progress in their game, and they don’t see it. I think England are in a tricky place in terms of their support and the atmosphere will be interesting. I am sure there will be fans who will wonder if Borthwick is the right guy to be in charge.
If he loses the last two games against Ireland and France, then the mood will turn. Does he get to November? A good performance on Saturday will enable him to see out the year.
RFU May Not Be Able to Let Borthwick Go So Soon Into his Contract
I don’t know what is going on behind the scenes, but the RFU might not be in a position to let him go at the end of the year. Will there be malcontent? I think there will be.
You would just love to see a little more growth from England, a little more open on the attacking side of the ball from them. That is concerning.
Is this the game that England have to do something to quieten the noise?
Felix Jones Will Be A Success At England
Felix and I played underage rugby against each other. We go back a long way. He was a great tackler himself and the only guy who could stop me in underage rugby.
He is young and hungry and very single-minded. He will do well for England. I can’t see him getting it wrong. It just will take time.
He is a disciple of Jacques Nienaber, the South Africa coach. He says it takes 14 weeks to embed a new system. So, England need to be patient. But it is worth persisting with.
It is a new style of defence which will suit England with their psyche and organisation and discipline. When I think of England, I think of that ‘great army’ you have had over the years and are renowned for.
In another life Felix would have been in the SAS. He’s really determined. The great English teams always display that mentality. Hard as nails and make them believe in each other.
I know there has been some discontent about the lack of focus on attack, but defence is vital and he will instil that belief and they will get better and better.
It will be a very difficult day for the Irish who only know one way to play. They don’t know how to play negative rugby.
*England v Ireland to be the lowest scoring match of the 2024 Six Nations is 14/1 per the latest rugby odds at BoyleSports.
Will Carling Criticising England is a Really Bad Sign
Will would have his finger on the pulse. He is a big noise in English rugby and has the pedigree. He is the kind of guy you’d want to be supportive of the coach. So that has to be a concern.
It’s not from a lack of effort on Borthwick’s part. He puts in the hours. But it is whether he can get that inspiration, get them to believe in themselves and play in a certain way that suits them. It seems like they haven’t figured that out yet.
Or maybe they have and if so it is not that nice on the eye. They appear devoid of ideas.
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