There has been an understandable reluctance bordering on a collective amnesia within the England camp to confront the reality of France’s last visit to Twickenham.
“We haven’t mentioned it, actually,” Henry Slade, the centre, said earlier this week. “It’s a very different squad, and it’s a very different team to who played that weekend. That’s the first time I’ve thought about it actually.” Another survivor from that game, captain Maro Itoje, appears to have had his mind wiped by one of those flashing devices from the Men In Black films.
So as a public service announcement, let the record show that the last time Antoine Dupont and company came to town they ran in seven tries with almost embarrassing ease to inflict a 53-10 defeat, a record home loss in 154 years of English rugby history. No wonder a form of PTSD has emerged among the survivors where either it has been entirely forgotten or deemed a minor scrape rather than a deep scar.
Immediately after the rout, head coach Steve Borthwick repeatedly referred to the gap between England and the leading nations. “Coming into this role I knew this was going to be a big challenge,” Borthwick said. “I’ve been very clear there’s a gap and the job is to try to close the gap as quickly as we can and I think you see how big the difference is.” Privately he was even more scathing about the physical conditioning of his players.
This was supposed to be rock bottom from which English rugby could only ascend upwards; the line in the sand past which they would never go backwards. And yet here we are two years on and Borthwick’s side stand on the cusp of making some more, unwanted, history.
A loss on Saturday would confirm England’s worst run of eight successive defeats against Six Nations and Rugby Championship teams. When you compare this current Borthwick side to the starting XVs of the dog days of the Andy Robinson era or even further back to the barren 1970s, it is difficult to subjectively say this the worst England team of all time. But statistically that is how they will be remembered.
Unless of course they spring the biggest surprise on the French since Edward III invaded Normandy at the start of the Hundred Years’ War. Borthwick, too, must rely upon English misdirection and a dash of Gallic arrogance to overcome what would appear to be overwhelming odds (actually a six-point handicap with most bookmakers).
So once again, Borthwick has reorganised his forces. “The early signs are that France persisted with their long kicking game to push [teams] back as far as possible. So that then leads to making decisions about your counter-attack and your run-back strategy, versus your kicking strategy,” Borthwick said.
Marcus Smith shifts to full-back and will need to be given the role of Harry Hotspur in initiating rapier attacks with any sniff of broken field. In comes Fin Smith – potentially the Black Prince? – and Tom Willis, who looks every bit the spit of a 14th century English longbowman, for first starts at fly-half and No 8 respectively. These are bold calls, perhaps the most striking since Borthwick promoted Marcus Smith ahead of Owen Farrell at fly-half in this corresponding fixture two years ago, which as we know, did not end too well.
Does the fact Borthwick altered the key cogs in his line-up from the 27-22 defeat by Ireland indicate a weak-minded vacillation? Or is it a sign of hard-nosed pragmatism opposite a superior force, much as Edward III did at the Battle of Crecy?
Yet this in itself indicates that the gap remains between England and the top tier of countries. Certainly, it is no longer a chasm. Borthwick’s team knocked off Six Nations champions Ireland at Twickenham last year and came within a long-range Thomas Ramos penalty of claiming the scalp of France in Lyon. This was the start of a now familiar pattern of England failing to hold on to second-half leads, which continued through to Dublin last week. It has become a self-reinforcing narrative that England are desperate to shatter.
Borthwick and Sweeney at risk
There is hope. France are missing some key men, including fly-half Romain Ntamack. His replacement Matthieu Jalibert is equal parts talented and temperamental. Last year England severely stressed France’s defence with their high-tempo attack, encapsulated by Tommy Freeman’s beautifully constructed try that looked to have snatched victory.
The pessimists will remember Dupont was missing that day. And those with shorter memories will look at the results in the Champions Cup this season in which the aggregate score between Toulouse and Bordeaux, who supply the bulk of France’s starting XV, against English opposition is a staggering 255-78. Or even to last Friday night when Les Bleus demolished Wales 43-0 without seeming to get out of third gear.
From defence to attack to set-piece, it is very hard to make a case that England are stronger in any department than France. Which is why Borthwick has been forced to shuffle his playmakers in the hope of catching France off guard. A blowout French victory seems just as probable as a tight English win.
Another home loss to France – no matter how gallantly fought – would not be forgotten so quickly this time, particularly when Bill Sweeney, the Rugby Football Union chief executive, is desperately scrambling to save his own skin. And another humiliation on the scale of two years ago might spell the end for both Borthwick and Sweeney.
