PARIS — England’s head coach Steve Borthwick has stated that the pain his team faced during this Six Nations will ultimately strengthen them moving forward and affirmed that he is the right person to guide them after their agonizing 48-46 loss to France.
Thomas Ramos clinched the match and the championship for Les Bleus with the final kick at Stade de France.
In a thrilling contest, England outscored France with seven tries to six, featuring Louis Bielle-Biarrey, who scored four tries; however, the precision of Ramos’ kicking proved to be the deciding factor.
England’s tries were scored by Tom Roebuck, Cadan Murley, Ollie Chessum (two), Alex Coles, Marcus Smith, and Tommy Freeman, while Bielle-Biarrey’s four tries, a penalty try, and one from Theo Attisogbe, along with Ramos’ kicking, secured a narrow victory for France.
This defeat marks England’s worst performance in Six Nations history, having suffered four losses. Borthwick’s position has faced scrutiny, but he maintains that he is the right leader for the team.
“I am truly disappointed for the players and the supporters; the players performed exceptionally well, and it was so close to being a memorable day,” Borthwick remarked.
“Matches against France have been closely contested lately. They have been thrilling encounters.
– France retains title after a captivating, chaotic tournament
– Hamilton: France, England conclude tournament with excitement, but questions linger
– Rare Irish cheers for England in vain, but Ireland finishes strong in Dublin
“The team improves significantly when it spends more time together in camp, but ultimately I am devastated. We entered with high expectations, but we have not been able to fulfill them. We are all feeling the pain, but there is a resolve to ensure this hurt strengthens the team.
“I believe I am the right person to lead this team forward. The team has been experiencing a challenging period, but there is significant potential for growth. This experience and the pain everyone is currently feeling will be utilized to fortify the team. Myself, Maro [Itoje], and the leadership at the RFU all share that vision.”
The RFU will now conduct its standard post-tournament review but has already released a statement supporting Borthwick as they head into the Nations Championship.
He hopes his players will learn from this championship and use it as motivation for the future.
“I am very proud of how the players performed, but ultimately we are disheartened that we entered the tournament with such high expectations and aspirations and were unable to achieve those goals,” Borthwick stated.
“It has been a difficult tournament, and we are all feeling the impact. I know the supporters are also hurting. We aimed to provide them with victories to celebrate, but we fell short. Everyone involved with the team cares deeply, so the immediate reflection is one of significant disappointment.
“There is a strong determination to ensure that this hurt will make the team stronger in the future.”
