Haskell backs Borthwick: The right man for the job

James Haskell sees Steve Borthwick as the man to lead England at the 2027 World Cup. Haskell, who wore the shirt in 77 Test matches between 2007 and 2019, says the RFU has given Borthwick clear backing and that changing head coach now would be the wrong move.

Borthwick oversaw England's worst Six Nations campaign in its history earlier this year. The team lost four of its five matches and kept the RFU's support despite mounting pressure. Haskell recalls that England went unbeaten in 12 matches before the Six Nations.

According to Haskell, the drop in performance is not as severe as it looks from the outside. He points out that England scored from 83 percent of their visits inside the 22-metre line during the unbeaten run. In the matches they lost, they reached similar opportunities, but their conversion into points fell below 33 percent.

Haskell also praised rising star Henry Pollock for his confidence and style of play. England face Australia, Japan and New Zealand this month. The Nations Championship final will be played on 27 and 28 November at Twickenham.