There is much that England got right in the final quarter on Saturday, whether it be the impact of the bench and in particular that of Jamie George, Fin Smith’s assuredness at fly-half, Earl’s key turnover or Tom Curry’s staggering work rate, but perhaps Borthwick’s greatest success was to keep that pressure away from his players.
That while there are no certainties in professional sport, if England kept putting themselves in contention in the final throes of matches, that if they came up against a side with what at times looked like a nihilistic contempt for the try-line, eventually, after all those near misses, they would end up on the right side of the scoreboard.
Nothing signposts a new dawn of English rugby quite like the emergence of a new fly-half so Fin Smith’s performance makes it all the more tempting to hype this as a watershed moment.
It was a gamble by Borthwick to pick him and to move Marcus Smith to full-back but that Fin Smith linked so well with his clubmates in the backline only adds to the sense that he is poised for an extended run at No 10.
He could not train last Monday after hobbling on to the final whistle against Ireland but on Saturday he won two pivotal turnovers and, according to Borthwick, is reaching new heights.
