Borthwick Urges England to Adopt Brave, Attacking Playstyle

England’s head coach, Steve Borthwick, is set to compete against his predecessor, Eddie Jones, as England welcomes Japan this Sunday. This Autumn Nations Series fixture, England v Japan, will take place at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, on Sunday, 24 November, with a kick-off time of 16:10 GMT. Coverage will be available via live commentary on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra and BBC Sounds, alongside live text commentary on the BBC Sport website and app. England’s head coach, Steve Borthwick, has encouraged his squad to maintain an offensive playing style, notwithstanding three losses recorded this autumn. Borthwick’s squad is currently experiencing a five-match losing streak, having been defeated 29-20 by the reigning world champions, South Africa, during the previous weekend. Nevertheless, the England coach desires his team to be “brave with the ball” in anticipation of their upcoming match against Eddie Jones’ Japan this Sunday. Speaking to BBC Sport, he stated: “We are trying to play the game a different way.” He added, “I am encouraging the players to be brave with the ball, to move the ball, that’s where the strength of the team now is and where it is going to be in the future.” This alteration in strategy stands in stark contrast to the more grinding method England employed during Borthwick’s initial year at the helm, which concluded with a third-place finish at the Rugby World Cup in France. Following two narrow defeats to New Zealand during their July tour, England did not manage to convert advantageous positions into victories in their matches against New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa this month. Although these contests remained finely balanced at the hour mark, England has shown a decline in performance during the last quarter, leading Borthwick to express a strong desire for his team to perform with self-assurance and determination for the full 80 minutes. Borthwick elaborated: “You’ve seen the way the team is trying to play now. You see the ball movement in the last 12 months that has changed with this team, and the way they can score wonderful tries.” He further noted: “There have been a few moments [at the end of games] when we aren’t throwing the final pass.” Borthwick affirmed: “I am backing the players to continue to play with the ambition, courage and bravery to throw that final pass.” Sale Sharks back row Tom Curry possesses 55 England caps. Concurrently, Borthwick has defended the choice to reinstate flanker Tom Curry into the starting XV, two weeks after he sustained a concussion against Australia. This marks Curry’s second concussion this season, and the 26-year-old was sidelined for most of the previous season due to a hip injury that threatened his career. “The health and wellbeing of the players is paramount,” Borthwick stated. He continued: “Post the game against Australia, Tom went through all the protocols, which are very stringent protocols.” Borthwick added: “He has had a number of consultations with independent specialists. He is a man who is desperate to play this weekend. I am very confident in the medical and strength and conditioning team we have.” Sale prop Asher Opoku-Fordjour was part of England A’s 38-17 victory over Australia A last weekend. Curry’s re-entry represents one of two alterations to the starting XV; Freddie Steward has been replaced by George Furbank at full-back, and adjustments have also been made to the bench. Reserve fly-half Fin Smith is poised to make his initial appearance of the autumn, and Sale’s 20-year-old prop Asher Opoku-Fordjour is scheduled for his England debut should he enter the game. England aims to introduce a new cohort of props, following the international retirements of Joe Marler and Mako Vunipola, while Dan Cole – who is not included in this weekend’s squad – approaches the conclusion of his career at 37 years old. Borthwick commented: “He [Opoku-Fordjour] is a prop who can play both sides of the scrum and that is a huge asset.” He continued: “His first training session here he sidestepped two players and made a line break. He has a point of difference.” Borthwick concluded: “Dan Cole and Joe Marler gave me really high recommendations of him. So he is a young prop with a brilliant future.” The England squad is as follows: Furbank; Freeman, Lawrence, Slade, Sleightholme; M Smith, Van Poortvliet; Genge, George (capt), Stuart, Itoje, Martin, T Curry, Underhill, Earl. Replacements include: Cowan-Dickie, Baxter, Opoku-Fordjour, Isiekwe, Cunningham-South, Randall, F Smith, Roebuck. The Japan squad is comprised of: Matsunaga; Osada, Riley, Fifita, Naikabula; McCurran, Saito; Okabe, Harada, Takeuchi, Waqa, Uluiviti, Shimokawa, Himeno, Makisi. Their replacements are: Lee, Morikawa, Tamefusa, Akiyama, Tatafu, Gunter, Fujiwara, Kajimura.