England’s Ben Earl has defended Steve Borthwick’s record as head coach following their defeat by Italy and claimed that “large parts of the performance were brilliant”.
England slumped to a 23-18 loss in Rome – their first ever against Italy in 33 matches – and face the prospect of their worst finish in the Six Nations.
They need to beat title-chasing France in Paris on Saturday to avoid finishing the championship with a record four defeats from five games.
With pressure mounting on Borthwick after three dismal defeats, the Rugby Football Union issued a statement of support on Sunday morning.
England number eight Earl also backed his head coach, saying the players should be held responsible for the team’s alarming form.
“Just have a think about what this team’s achieved since Steve took over. We’ve gone third in the World Cup,” said Earl.
“We’ve won 12 out of 15 games, but had won 12 on the bounce. We’ve beaten the All Blacks for the first time in Twickenham since 2012.
“The noise is actually bonkers, I think it’s crazy. If anyone is letting Steve down, it’s us, the group.
“We need to play better at certain moments because we’re playing well for 50 minutes, playing well for 40 minutes, playing well for 30 minutes. We’ve just got to put it together – and we will.”
