Steve Borthwick sack: England fans explode after shock decision

Saturday, 14 March 2026 at 22:37

byRugby Rucker

France were crowned Six Nations champions after a breathtaking 48–46 victory over England in Paris, a match that will be remembered as one of the most dramatic encounters in the tournament’s history.

, the Bath scrum-half had .

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Despite producing one of their most attacking performances of the championship, England still fell short, meaning Steve Borthwick’s side lost four matches in a Six Nations campaign for the first time.

But while the scoreline itself sparked debate, it was one decision from Borthwick that ignited fury among England supporters — the decision to replace scrum-half Ben Spencer after just 50 minutes.

Spencer substitution sparks outrage

England were still firmly in the contest when Spencer was replaced by Jack van Poortvliet shortly after the 50-minute mark.

The change baffled many viewers, particularly given Spencer’s strong performance up to that point. According to the Telegraph

Fans immediately took to social media questioning the decision, with many arguing the substitution swung momentum back toward France.

The official England account confirmed the change during the match:

England Rugby (@EnglandRugby)
55' | Replacement Jack van Poortvliet comes on for Ben Spencer. #FRAvENG | #GuinnessM6N

The reaction from supporters was swift — and furious.

Fans slam Borthwick’s decision

One supporter, Nigel Chivers, believed the outcome could have been different had Spencer stayed on.

@nigelchivers
If Ben Spencer stayed on England win that game

Another fan questioned England’s attacking structure once Spencer left the field.

@_kierdoherty
Ben Spencer runs a much better offence than Genge, that’s the whole point.

Journalist Chris Jones also highlighted how England’s approach changed after the substitution.

@JonesySE
#England missing Ben Spencer. JackVP box kicking everything and giving the ball back to France every time. #FRAvENG

Others were even more blunt in their criticism of the decision.

@Crookey1979
Why on earth has he brought Spencer off? Especially for that Tugger clown. Can’t even fathom why vP is in squad let alone playing.

Even supporters who admitted they were not usually fans of Spencer felt the substitution made little sense.

@JohnAnd57093594
I am NOT a Ben Spencer fan. But he has been very good today and taking him off after 50 mins seems dumb.

Ryan Courbet echoed the confusion.

@TalkModeZero
What did Ben Spencer do that warranted being taken off? He’s played really well (again).

And another fan pointed out it was the second consecutive match Spencer had been replaced around the same time.

@Eric_COYB
Ben Spencer hooked on 50 mins for the second game in a row?? He’s the best 9 we’ve got what is Borthwick doing?

Poll:

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England player ratings vs France

15 Elliot Daly — 7.5

Much better than he was last week. Kicked well and did well in the air when called upon, getting an assist for England’s opening try. Slightly suspect defending for France’s second, in which he was caught out by a kick in behind, even if the kick was very well-weighted.

14 Tom Roebuck — 7

Not quite at his indomitable self in the air, but finished his try well for the opener, and had a couple of nice carries from deep, including on that he offloaded very well. Not the most impactful, but not bad.

13 Tommy Freeman — 9

Found some very good lines at 13, which is always the aim when playing a player like Freeman there. Carried well in those instances, and made some serious metres with the ball in hand. Linked up well with the rest of the backline.

12 Seb Atkinson — 7.5

Thought he’d had the dream start when he dotted down after just a minute, but the try was swiftly disallowed for an earlier knock on. Carried reasonably well and looked to take it into contact plenty of times.

Was always on the front foot, which is something that England have missed a little bit and something different to Fraser Dingwall, even with Dingwall’s playmaking quality at 12.

11 Cadan Murley — 6

A bit of a mixed bag really for Murley. To start with the positive, he scored a nicely finished try for which he latched onto a French mistake to dot down. Negatively, he misjudged a bounce and was beaten far too easily for Louis Bielle-Biarrey’s first try, and did the same for Matthieu Jalibert, the latter being disallowed.

10 Fin Smith — 8

Infinitely sharper and better than he was against Italy last week. From the first whistle, he looked a different player and did his job incredibly well.

Mixed up his play this week, taking it to the gainline on a few instances whilst also passing it when needed. Was forced into a drop goal for his fourth conversion, which he finished in exceptional fashion. Not amazing from the tee, which wasn’t helped by the crowd in fairness.

9 Ben Spencer — 8

There would have been some doubts about Spencer starting this match, however he silenced them very effectively and delivered in his 50 minutes on the pitch.

The highlight was definitely his deft kick in behind that forced a France error and allowed Cadan Murley to finish, and his great pass out wide in the buildup to Alex Coles’ score. Tactical kicking was pretty spot on too. Very good.

1 Ellis Genge — 6.5

Carried well and was part of a solid England scrum, which has been the main positive to take from their campaign overall.

His main highlight from this game will be the cynical yellow card that he gave away during a maul right on half time, which caused a penalty try and led to a heavy swing in momentum for the home side. Unfortunately marks down an otherwise strong match.

2 Jamie George — 7

Finished off his tournament with a 50-minute stint that showcased what George is all about, consistency. Solid lineout throwing, good involvement overall and generally just decent, in a good way.

3 Joe Heyes — 8

It shouldn’t come as a surprise anymore but Heyes is an absolute elite-level scrummager and his talents were on full display, performing well in that aspect and even winning a scrum penalty from a French feed. Tackled well as well.

4 Maro Itoje — 8.5

After an otherwise poor campaign in which he has had to battle plenty of personal adversity, it was nice to see Itoje put in a proper captain’s performance, which serves as a reminder of just how good he is.

Great in the air at lineout time, and his highlight will be an excellently won penalty during a maul, just as his side were under immense pressure. His breakdown work was also exemplary, with penalties won on a few occasions.

5 Alex Coles — 7.5

Came off with an injury 54 minutes in, but his work before that was tireless. Central to a great maul and a high-functioning lineout, and dotted down in the corner for a try of his own. Certainly not a game he will remember, and the England lock is turning into a very good Test player.

6 Ollie Chessum — 9

Played out of his skin, particularly in the first 40. Brought so much physicality, was brilliant around the ruck, tackled well and was great at lineout time. Looks to be a great asset at blindside, and all of those positive actions are key to his position.

Also bagged himself two tries, one a good finish from close-range, and the other an exact opposite. He intercepted a pass on halfway and put the burners on in a fashion rarely seen from a forward of his size. That try alone was worth a high rating, and his great overall work enhances it.

7 Guy Pepper — 8

The youngster rose to the occasion and while he won’t take any headlines, Pepper did a lot of the unsung work. Tackled very well and was a menace at the breakdown. Part of a back row unit that outplayed their counterparts. Came off after 62 minutes.

8 Ben Earl — 7.5

Kept going after sustaining a knock to his head and can be happy with the way he played. Carried relentlessly like usual, tackled well and was a big reason behind England’s positive start.

One of the best performers of this campaign for his side and a strong player throughout.