Recreating the levels of England’s support at the World Cup in Marseille would lift Borthwick’s team to greater heights
In recent years the experience of going to Twickenham for supporters has mirrored what we have seen on the pitch. It has lacked energy at times, it is not the most ferocious of crowds and it has almost taken a setback for England or a spark to ignite them. The goal has to be that the baseline level at Twickenham is fever-pitch excitement and the players and the supporters have a role to play in that.
It may be a radical suggestion but I would love one of the stands at Twickenham to become something like an England fan debenture zone. The price of tickets would be capped at around £50, you would sign up, pay a subscription fee, get early access to tickets and the result would be a concentrated area for the hardcore, diehard fans. I would love Twickenham to have that one stand to act as the catalyst. You think of all the most atmospheric grounds around the world and they all have that epicentre. I think of the Kop at Anfield, the Yellow Wall at Borussia Dortmund’s stadium, the single-tier South Stand at Tottenham Hotspur’s stadium – they all create the atmosphere that reverberates around the ground. Rugby can be a staccato sport at times so having that kind of catalyst would make a huge difference.