Borthwick's bold plan crumbles to dust in Dublin

Ireland began their title defense with a convincing victory over England. Despite Steve Borthwick projecting calm and confidence before the match, England ultimately failed to withstand Ireland's offensive. Borthwick's decision to announce the team lineup two days early seemed like a challenge to Ireland, but the match result proved his strategy ineffective.

England started strong, despite Marcus Smith being sent off within 10 minutes, and still managed to trouble Ireland on both offense and defense. Through quick defensive play and contesting for possession, they briefly hampered Ireland's attack. At halftime, England led by five points, a stark contrast to their performance in last year's Six Nations, where they trailed in every match. However, Smith's penalty allowed Ireland to capitalize before halftime, keeping the suspense alive.

In the second half, England's performance sharply declined. They quickly lost their advantage due to a series of errors. Bundee Aki's try leveled the score, and subsequent unnecessary penalties saw England reduced to 13 men, allowing Ireland to take the lead. A penalty by substitute Chandler Cunningham-South allowed Ireland to score again, further extending their lead. England's mistakes continued, while Ireland played steadily, ultimately securing the win.

Borthwick stated post-match that he was proud of the team's progress during the game, but acknowledged Ireland's experience advantage. He pointed out that Ireland has a seasoned, world-class team and has consistently been in the world's top four. Furthermore, Ireland benefits from the coordination between its four provincial teams, contrasting with the fragmentation among England's ten clubs. Borthwick faces numerous challenges, including improving the team's overall performance and maintaining competitiveness throughout the 80 minutes.

Currently, England has won only two of their last nine matches, both victories against Japan. Under Borthwick's two-year tenure, the team's win rate is below 50%. Next week, they face a high-spirited French team, who previously defeated England 53-10 during their last visit to Twickenham. England has made numerous promises to the fans, but they need to prove themselves with actual victories.