"The ledger records an agonising defeat but a performance brimming with positives, carried out with a swagger that must signpost the way forward if this is to be the turning point in Borthwick's tenure. Moments of naivety, too, plenty of mistakes and a maddening feeling that leaves you questioning why they do not always play like this."
"There has been a fair bit of talk about the England way this week. Players referenced it without precisely defining what it is, but if this is it, bottle it. Never let it go. The concern is that Borthwick and his army of analysts pore over the mistakes, that the data tells them that narrowing their horizons is the safest way forward."
"For this was some rope-a-dope from Borthwick after his players had insisted they would double-down on the kicking game and the sense of opportunity, if Borthwick sticks by a gameplan with such ambition, gives rise to optimism. It remains a big if. A statement away win still eludes Borthwick but he has arguably something more significant, provided he continues in this vein."
England suffered a narrow defeat to France in a Six Nations finale, yet the performance demonstrated significant positives that could mark a turning point for coach Steve Borthwick. The team played with swagger and ambition, moving away from their conservative approach to embrace attacking opportunities. While mistakes and moments of naivety occurred, the overall display suggested England has finally awakened from underperformance. The critical question is whether Borthwick will maintain this attacking gameplan or revert to safer, data-driven strategies. The performance offers genuine optimism if the coaching staff commits to continuing this ambitious approach rather than narrowing their tactical horizons.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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