England make ‘sack decision’ on head coach Steve Borthwick

The Azzurri secured a famous 23–18 victory over England, piling further pressure on head coach Steve Borthwick and all but ending England’s hopes of salvaging their championship.

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What was supposed to be a title push has quickly turned into a battle for pride.

Before the tournament began, Borthwick had already circled one key date — a potential title decider in Paris against France.

Instead, England arrive at the closing stages of the championship battered by defeats.

The warning signs first appeared in a 31–20 Calcutta Cup loss to Scotland at Murrayfield.

Things worsened when Ireland ran riot at Twickenham, hammering England 42–21 and exposing major issues in defence and attack.

Now Italy have piled on even more misery.

England now find themselves stuck in the lower half of the table with just one win — against Wales — to show for their campaign.

Expectations were high heading into Borthwick’s fourth championship in charge, but the results have fallen far short.

Despite the mounting pressure, the RFU are not expected to make any decision on Borthwick’s future until after the Six Nations tournament has concluded.

With a daunting trip to Paris still to come, England’s focus will now be on restoring some pride before the championship ends.

The title dream is gone.

Now England are fighting simply to avoid complete humiliation. 

With the Rugby World Cup drawing closer, the performance raises serious questions about England’s direction under Borthwick. Once again they lacked control, composure and attacking clarity when the match began to turn.

Here are five England players who endured a difficult afternoon at the Stadio Olimpico.

Underhill was handed a late opportunity after Tom Curry suffered an injury in the warm-up, and he immediately brought his trademark physicality to England’s defence.

His relentless tackling allowed England to challenge fiercely at the breakdown, and he quickly became one of the side’s most active defenders. In fact, he finished level with Maro Itoje as England’s leading tackler with 13.

For much of the contest, the flanker looked determined to prove he deserved a starting place. However, the defining moment of his afternoon came midway through the second half when he was shown a yellow card for a high tackle on Danilo Fischetti.

With Underhill and Itoje both off the field at the same time, England’s defensive structure collapsed and Italy seized control of the game. It was a costly mistake on what had otherwise been a committed display.

Fin Smith’s return to the starting line-up began nervously.

The fly-half was charged down by Niccolò Cannone early in the match and later conceded a penalty for going off his feet, moments that hinted at a lack of early composure.

Despite that shaky start, Smith produced a moment of genuine class before half-time. His perfectly judged cross-field kick allowed Tom Roebuck to score and gave England the advantage at the interval.

However, as the second half progressed and England began to lose their grip on the contest, Smith struggled to dictate play. The team needed a calm hand to manage territory and tempo, but the control never materialised.

While there were flashes of quality, he ultimately failed to take command of the match when England needed it most.

Itoje was far more involved than he has been in previous rounds of the tournament.

The England captain produced several dominant tackles and won a key turnover early in the second half. His relentless work at the breakdown briefly helped relieve pressure as Italy pushed forward.

But the momentum swung dramatically around the hour mark. After England conceded a penalty, Itoje was shown a yellow card for knocking the ball out of Alessandro Fusco’s hands — a decision that sparked debate but proved hugely damaging.

With England reduced further, the contest quickly slipped away from them.

Former England international Austin Healey voiced his frustration on X, writing:
“Sorry that’s unforgivable from your captain.”

Itoje’s defensive contributions were notable, but the costly card overshadowed his efforts.

Alex Coles had moments of quality but also contributed to England’s continued inconsistency.

The lock produced a superb floated pass that allowed Tommy Freeman to score England’s opening try, showing impressive handling skills for a forward.

He also carried responsibility in the line-out following England’s struggles in that area against Ireland. While there were some positive moments, the set-piece still lacked fluidity and often looked disjointed.

Earlier in the match England wasted a promising attacking opportunity when Coles mishandled the ball during a driving maul, another sign of their continuing issues inside the opposition 22.

It was a mixed performance that never quite reached the level England needed.

Seb Atkinson was making his first appearance of the Championship and faced the difficult task of helping spark an England attack that has struggled throughout the tournament.

The Gloucester centre never fully clicked with fly-half Fin Smith, with several passages highlighting a lack of understanding between the pair.

Atkinson looked slightly rusty early on, throwing a couple of loose passes and later attempting a speculative offload to his former clubmate that resulted in a turnover.

While he showed enthusiasm and willingness to get involved, the challenge of revitalising England’s backline proved too much.

Up against Italy’s powerful Tommaso Menoncello, Atkinson often found himself second best on his Six Nations debut.

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