Statement win against Ireland has given the players a boost – but the challenge now is to back up that display in France
Twickenham does not rock to the core very often these days so when it does you wonder if it might just fall to pieces beneath you. The last time that happened, before Saturday night, was in the autumn of 2022. It was Eddie Jones’s penultimate match in charge when a thrilling comeback against New Zealand enabled England to pull level, only for Marcus Smith to kick the ball out, end the match and take the draw. If we are looking for signs of progress then, suffice it to say, there was no tinge of regret to his last-gasp kick against Ireland.
Relief, however, was in abundance. Because, make no mistake, England needed that. Their supporters, certainly but, more than that, and as Steve Borthwick pointed out, his players were in need of validation of their progress. The head coach talks of his players having “trust” in what he is trying to do and, as much as they believe in Borthwick, a statement victory was fast becoming a necessity. You could see it in the reaction of the players afterwards – the youngsters jubilant, the senior players experiencing a cathartic release.