In the realm of rugby, moments of late heroics often transcend the game itself, marking the beginning of something extraordinary.
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Such is the sentiment echoed by Sir Clive Woodward, a towering figure in English rugby, who sees England’s recent display of resilience as a pivotal moment heralding the dawn of the Steve Borthwick era.
In what can only be described as a stirring performance, the win against in the Six Nations has ignited hope and optimism, with Woodward labelling it as their finest hour in the tournament by a significant margin.
Hw wrote: “Before the match that England had next to no chance of victory and that the game was about being competitive against what, in my view, is the best side in the world.
“For England to come out with a win, they would have to play near on the perfect game. What is fascinating to me is that although England beat Ireland, I still think they can play even better. What a great position that is for the team to be in. They proved their doubters wrong.
“Borthwick’s men can and must still bring greater impetus to their actions. But, there can be no doubt this Twickenham success against a side as good as Ireland is a massive step in the right direction for everyone in English rugby. I really hope this win represents lift-off for the Borthwick era.
“England threw the kitchen sink at Andy Farrell’s men in a full-blooded contest and the way they won it through Marcus Smith’s drop goal was just brilliant.”
Woodward is now keen for England to kick on and wants Smith at the wheel.
“Ford is undoubtedly the safe option. But England need to let the handbrake off.”
“Wretched” – Three players Steve Borthwick should drop – and who should replace them for France
Despite the triumph, there’s speculation that Borthwick might opt for three changes ahead of England’s Six Nations finale in Paris next weekend.
#1. George Ford
Telegraph 5/10: “Beautiful with ball in hand, wretched with the boot. Missing seven points felt crucial and kicking from hand was also not on the money.”
RUCK 6.5/10: “A frustrating day personally for Ford, yet he would be delighted to see his side turn the fortunes around in the second half. Had his drop gaol attempt charged down and missed the 30th min pen from the Ireland 10m line. Ford was offside along with Ollie Chessum at 38 minutes, as England worked tirelessly to clear their lines. Missed another conversion after Furbank’s try, as Owen Farrell watched on in the Twickenham stands.”
Rugby World 5/10: “Put some nice width on the ball, particularly with the miss passes to a rampaging Ellis Genge in midfield. However, he was guilty of missing a very kickable penalty attempt in the first half and also had a drop goal charged down. Mixed bag.”
Replacement: Marcus Smith
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