Defeat in Italy confirmed this is a fast-developing crisis with supporters watching a team stuck on the boulevard of broken dreams
Even before the final weekend unfolds the 2026 Six Nations can be adjudged already as a vintage one. Three teams mathematically remain in the title race and all of them are still full of running. Whether it is France, Ireland or Scotland who ultimately pull clear, an eventful championship this year will be remembered fondly by almost everybody.
For every beaming winner, though, there inevitably has to be a frustrated, bruised loser. And to put it mildly things have not unfolded in the way England were hoping just a few short weeks ago. “On 14 March in Paris we want to be in a position entering that game where we can achieve what we’re all aiming to achieve,” Steve Borthwick said on 23 January. “We want England fans flooding across the Channel to watch the team in a massive encounter in the final round with the opportunity to achieve what we want.”
At the time it felt out of character for a coach renowned for his studious game-by-game approach. The obvious explanation, from where most of us were sitting, was a desire to challenge his players: don’t be shy of aiming high because that precise mentality will be a necessity at the World Cup next year. Nothing wrong with that, in theory, but it has definitely not had the desired effect.
