England star reflects on disappointing Six Nations, looks ahead to Prem run-in

Leicester Tigers scrum-half Jack van Poortvliet has reflected on England’s difficult Six Nations campaign.

He has also insisted he has taken valuable lessons into the Prem run-in, as Leicester push for their first league title since 2022, which came under current England head coach Steve Borthwick.

England endured a disappointing tournament, recording just one victory in what became statistically their worst Six Nations finish. They ended below Italy and lost to every side except Wales.

The standout moment came in their final match in Paris, where they produced a strong performance but were narrowly beaten by a last-minute Thomas Ramos penalty.

Van Poortvliet featured off the bench in the final three rounds, including that match in Paris.

"Obviously the overall feeling is frustration with performances and results, but I love playing for England.

"I loved having the opportunity again to be part of the Six Nations and there were some special occasions that I got to play in, especially that France game.

"In reflection, I love being part of the group and being part of the Six Nations but I think I'll take quite a lot of learnings from frustration in terms of the results and what happened."

At just 24, van Poortvliet has already earned 24 England caps, since making his debut on 2 July 2022, scoring a consolation try in a 30–28 defeat to Australia in Perth.

He was later selected for England’s 2023 Rugby World Cup squad in 2023, however, he was forced to withdraw after suffering a significant ankle injury in a warm-up match.

He was also called up to the British and Irish Lions training squad in June 2025 ahead of their match against Argentina during the 2025 tour.

"You don't take much time to think about those things, I've been incredibly lucky and to have the opportunities I've had in an England shirt from a young age, I'm extremely grateful.

"Each time you put that shirt on, you don't want to lose it, you want to keep going and I felt that when I was out for a while in the World Cup.

"I want to keep pushing, want to keep striving to make myself better and hopefully I can keep having more opportunities in the shirt."

Attention now turns to the Prem. Leicester Tigers sit third and hold an eight-point advantage over fifth place, putting them in a strong position to secure a playoff spot. They face Newcastle Red Bulls this weekend at Welford Road.

Van Poortvliet reflected on previous run-ins, including two winning semi-finals, a final defeat to Bath last season, and a semi-final loss to Sale Sharks.

"A big lesson from those years, we had clear focus on what we wanted to improve and what we needed to make sure we won those games and then from there, we've got an overlook on what we need to work on, we'll keep checking back in on that each week.

"For us, we're focusing hard on ourselves, trying to bring the best version of ourselves each week, each training session and we know it will get the best outcome for the game."