By Charlie Elliott
England have just defeated France in a great display of desire and tactical awareness, as well as plenty of good fortune, thanks in large part to the work of head coach Steve Borthwick.
Borthwick has had an up and down time as head coach, but this result could be looked back on as a turning point of his tenure.
Here are some of the best results since his appointment in late 2022.
England 30-24 Fiji: 2023 World Cup
Steve Borthwick reached the semi-final of the 2023 World Cup, before being narrowly beaten by the Springboks.
Although it was a pretty easy route to the semis, the win against Fiji is one that is still remembered very fondly by fans.
A 14-point lead was squandered, and the score was 24-24 before two Owen Farrell kicks spared the blushes.
Will likely go down as a slightly fortunate win and it does not represent the best of Borthwick, but the result was all that mattered in the end and getting to a World Cup semi is no mean feat.
England 23-22 Ireland: 2024 Six Nations
While the 2024 Six Nations was not a success by any stretch of the imagination, the win against Ireland was very impressive.
The close scoreline was slightly generous on the visitors, as England deserved their win thoroughly, Andy Farrell even admitted as much.
It dashed all hopes of a Triple Crown and Grand Slam and was the only blemish on an otherwise perfect campaign that won them the Championship.
Marcus Smith won it at the death with a drop goal, which showed a willingness to win that is sometimes lacking in the national setup.
England 26-25 France: 2025 Six Nations
Another instance of beating a top-class team came this year in the Six Nations, when a late Elliot Daly try saw off France and got a historic win at Twickenham.
England played their game plan to perfection and frustrated a team with some of the best players in the world.
France made multiple huge mistakes early on which could have seen them take a big lead, but the hosts stuck in there and competed, before the dagger at the end.
At the time of writing, this result has only just happened, but time will tell whether it is a potential turning point for the side and whether they can push onto bigger things going forward.
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England 31-14 Italy: 2023 Six Nations
A rare case of Borthwick being pragmatic, England reaped the rewards of a cautious approach with a convincing win over Italy, which marked the new head coach’s first win of his tenure.
After the Calcutta Cup defeat in the first game, a win was essential, and no surprise defeat was inflicted on them.
This win at all costs, no matter how good it is to watch approach has rarely been seen since, to the detriment of the team, but it is clearly there, and the squad and head coach is capable of doing so.
Wales 10-20 England: 2023 Six Nations
The 2023 Six Nations was not particularly enjoyable, with the two wins that are mentioned on here being the only to of the tournament, but individually as a win, the Wales game was positive.
It was England’s biggest victory in Cardiff since 2003 and the first away win for Borthwick.
Possibly more of an indication of the lack of quality in Wales compared to an outstanding game for England, it was still a good moment for the head coach.
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