James Haskell has backed Steve Borthwick as "the right man for the job" as England prepare for the conclusion of the inaugural Nations Championship in November. Borthwick oversaw England's worst-ever Six Nations campaign earlier this year, with four losses from their five matches, but despite growing pressure the RFU have publicly expressed their support for Borthwick through to the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia. This month, England will face Australia, Japan and New Zealand ahead of Finals Weekend, which takes place November 27-28 at Twickenham.
Former England international Haskell, who earned 77 Test caps between 2007 and 2019, insists it is not the time to change the head coach. "The RFU have got behind Steve Borthwick, and rightly so," Haskell told Sky Sports. "I think he's the right man for the job." Borthwick oversaw a 12-game unbeaten streak ahead of the 2026 Six Nations, and Haskell insists the change in performance is not as stark as the critics might suggest.
"It's never as bad as you think it is and it's never as good as you think it is," he said. "I think there's a lot of talent, and without being a super nerd - which rugby pundits often can be - if you look at the stats, we create lots of opportunities. "When we were on our unbeaten run of 12 games, 83 per cent of the time we got into the 22-metre line, we took away points.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player "When we were losing games, we were making the same opportunities but coming away with points less than 33 per cent of the time. Haskell also praised the ego and style of rising star Henry Pollock. The Northampton Saints back-row who made headlines by becoming the first rugby union player to sign for Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Talent Agency back in March, could be given more international chances in the coming weeks.
"He's definitely got that X-factor, in terms of the way he plays," said Haskell. "He's probably the most talked about rugby player at the moment. He creates opinion and challenges opinion - and that's what makes the world go round now.
"But when he gets opportunities on the field, he delivers… I'm very excited that he will hopefully get more of a chance to play for England. "It will challenge some of the stuffier, more stoic sides of the upper echelons, and of the fanbase, who like their sports stars manageable and with a bit of ego, but not too much. "If someone could bring that cohesion together, keep raising awareness and building superstars like Henry Pollock, you're going to be in a great place."
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