England’s head coach Steve Borthwick unleashed his frustration after his team’s agonizing 42-37 loss to Australia at the Allianz Stadium, a defeat that saw them squander a 12-point advantage. The loss serves as a painful reminder of England’s struggles in closing out games, a recurring theme that has plagued the team this year.
Borthwick pointed a finger at the high number of turnovers and handling errors, citing them as key factors in their downfall. ‘When you make that number of errors, seven handling errors and I think there were 20 turnovers in total, you give the opportunity to the opposition to run in space and score tries and they did,’ Borthwick lamented. ‘I don’t think we gave our defense the opportunity to be in the right position to go. If you give them the opportunity of turning balls over and the game gets that loose, it is very difficult to get your defence set.’
England’s inability to hold onto the ball cost them dearly, allowing Australia to capitalize on their mistakes and launch counter-attacks. ‘There were a number of times where tries were scored too quickly off the back of a turnover ball or a loose ball and we have to be better than that and not put ourselves in that position,’ Borthwick emphasized.
This defeat marks the fourth consecutive match and the fifth time in six where England have failed to convert a lead in the late stages of the game. The team’s performance also extends their record to six losses in ten Tests this year, setting a challenging tone for the upcoming match against world champions South Africa.
While Borthwick acknowledged the team’s desire to attack and move the ball, he recognized the consequences of their risk-taking approach. ‘These guys were good, they had the pace, and they had the power and they took their chances very well,’ Borthwick conceded.
Captain Jamie George echoed Borthwick’s sentiments, expressing disappointment at their failure to close out the game. ‘I think the blueprint of how we wanted to play was in the first 20 minutes. We put Australia under a lot of pressure. Sometimes in a Test match like that you think the job is done. We took our foot off the gas. You have to give credit to Australia, they were very good tonight, but we cannot keep doing that and it will be a tough one to watch back.’
The defeat saw England concede a record number of points in a losing effort at Twickenham, highlighting the need for improvement in their defensive structure. While Borthwick and George are keen to analyze the team’s shortcomings and identify areas for growth, the focus now shifts to their upcoming clash against the Springboks. This match presents an opportunity for England to bounce back and claim their first victory of the Autumn Nations Series.
