SIR CLIVE WOODWARD: England can WIN the Six Nations AND the World Cup

I’m backing Steve Borthwick to get England on a roll and I’d like to see form players like Ollie Hassell-Collins and Ben Earl given a chance: SIR CLIVE WOODWARD gives his verdict on the battle for the 2023 Six Nations crown

• England have everything they need to win the Six Nations and the World Cup
• Wales have a chance to make a new start under the leadership of Warren Gatland
• Scotland have the talent at their disposal necessary to beat any Six Nations side
• Ireland have the opportunity to break their hex playing on the biggest stage 

The great thing about the Six Nations in a World Cup year is it’s even bigger and better.

I truly believe we will see the best World Cup in rugby history in 2023 because there are three northern hemisphere teams — France, Ireland and England — who can win it and there are the three big southern hemisphere sides who are getting better all the time.

The best way for one of the home nations to lay down a marker for the World Cup is to win the Six Nations — ideally with a Grand Slam.

It should be a fascinating tournament…

Steve Borthwick is the perfect head coach to lead England to glory in the Six Nations

ENGLAND 

England can absolutely win the Six Nations and the World Cup. The more I think about it, the more excited I am about Steve Borthwick’s appointment as head coach.

I capped Borthwick in 2001 and I was pleased he spoke about his time playing under me when he was unveiled by England.

He spoke about the posters we had on the walls which reminded the players of several aspects of our game, but most importantly to remember the basics. They are: lineout, scrum and restarts.

Borthwick was right to say England aren’t in the top three in the world in any of rugby’s key areas right now. That has to change and I believe it will.

Borthwick’s appointment will hopefully usher in an era where the coach isn’t the central focus as Eddie Jones was during his reign

It will be a big change to the Eddie Jones era, where all the focus was on the coach and not the team. I hope the Borthwick era will bring an end to the awful rhetoric that came to symbolise English rugby under Jones. If I had one wish for 2023, it would be to ban the terms ‘starters’ and ‘finishers’.

What is absolutely vital is that Borthwick is given the chance to stamp his mark on the team and pick a squad that is entirely chosen by him for the Six Nations.

When I read that Borthwick can only make five changes to the existing large England squad due to Premiership and RFU rules, I was more than disappointed. So it was heartening to hear both parties seem to be willing to give Borthwick the green light to pick an entirely new squad.

One huge advantage for Borthwick is he has worked in the England set-up before. He knows the players already and as a former Leicester coach, has a great knowledge of the Premiership.

The former Leicester coach’s knowledge of the Premiership could prove invaluable

I’m hugely excited for England’s first game with Scotland. Borthwick is in a good position to bring immediate improvement to the team because the pressure is off him and the only way is up after a disappointing last three years.

That is how the Jones era will be remembered, which is a great shame. It should never have been allowed to happen.

England’s first two fixtures — Scotland and Italy at home — could not be better. Win those two and I can see England getting on a roll. I absolutely believe they can beat France at home too.

England won’t get carried away under Borthwick. They will take it one game at a time. That might sound boring, but I’ve always maintained that you have to prepare for your next game as if it was a World Cup final and a match you have to win.

England were guilty of not doing that under Jones. Beating Scotland at Twickenham has to be the first priority and nothing else.

Ollie Hassell-Collins (left) and Ben Earl (right) would bring a youthful vibrancy to the England set-up

Borthwick needs to nail down who he wants in his starting 15, but especially the key positions of 10, 12 and 13. He has to get the culture right.

I’d like to see form Premiership players like Ollie Hassell-Collins and Ben Earl given a chance and bring a fresh, youthful vibrancy to the England set-up. Since the 2019 World Cup, Jones picked virtually the same players almost regardless of their club form.

I think that will change under Borthwick and his selection for the Scotland game is an opportunity to really lay down a marker.

I think Borthwick will get Twickenham rocking in 2023 and that would be great to see after the dour and dreary rugby England have produced in recent times.

Make no mistake, Scotland would have preferred to see Jones sitting in the coaching box and not Borthwick.

FRANCE

France have one of the world’s best players at their disposal in 26-year-old Antoine Dupont

French rugby is in a wonderful place and a total contrast to England. I do a lot of work in France and I know the public there is right behind their team.

They have a home World Cup to look forward to and in Antoine Dupont and Shaun Edwards, they have one of the best players and best coaches on the planet. It could be an amazing year for them and I think playing at home in a World Cup is a huge advantage. It’s like having a 16th man.

I disagree that being at home adds extra pressure. If you are a top team which is capable of winning a World Cup, then that should be water off a duck’s back.

Another advantage for France is you can name their first-choice team now. Ireland can too, but England and Wales aren’t in that position yet.

Whoever is going to win the World Cup will have to beat France at home and that’s a fearsome prospect. However, I think England will get the better of them at Twickenham in the Six Nations.

IRELAND

Andy Farrell has to prove Ireland are capable of fulfilling their potential on the biggest stage

Ahead of the 2003 World Cup, I told my England players we couldn’t dream of winning in Australia unless we claimed a Six Nations Grand Slam.

That should be the message Andy Farrell sends to his side.

Ireland have a record of peaking between World Cups and disappointing on the big stage. But they are officially the world’s best team entering 2023 and I don’t think they should shy away from the pressure that comes with that position.

They are a top team with great players and a great coach. They have the opportunity to show that now. Ireland have all the tools to be Six Nations and World Cup winners. But can they go to Cardiff at the start of February and win? That will be a tough test for them against a Welsh side which will be revived by Warren Gatland’s return. That game promises to be a huge start to the Six Nations. Win at the Principality Stadium and Ireland will be full of confidence, but that is by no means a given.

WALES

The return of Warren Gatland has brought a sense of optimism to the Welsh camp

It’s a new start with Warren Gatland back in charge. He brings stardust and an edge to the Welsh team.

Wales were struggling under Wayne Pivac. You can’t lose against Italy and Georgia at home and expect to survive. Wales have to make Cardiff a fortress once again. There is only one man in world rugby who can do that for them and it’s Gatland.

You don’t get a set of gates named after you at your home stadium if you’re not a good coach! I think Wales will target their home games this year and look to build from there.

Their first match with Ireland will be huge. Wales don’t have the depth of other countries and for Will Rowlands to be out of the Six Nations is a big blow. Gatland always talks about the Six Nations as a tournament of momentum and he is right.

SCOTLAND

Fin Russell is world class and will be a valuable asset for Gregor Townsend’s side at the tournament

Gregor Townsend is now well established as coach and he has real talent at his disposal in all positions, but in the back division with players like Finn Russell, Chris Harris and the young Bath centre Cameron Redpath. They really can set the tournament alight. Quite a few of them would make the England team. Russell is a wonderful player and I hope he’s now settled back as Scotland’s first-choice fly-half.

Talk over his relationship with Townsend has been a constant distraction To me, it’s simple. Russell is the best fly-half so has to play. With him in their team, Scotland are capable of beating any Six Nations side. They did that against England last year and have a good record against them over the last few years. They will travel to Twickenham for the 2023 opener in confident mood.

 ITALY

I just hope for the Six Nations that Italy win a game, as they did last year by beating Wales. I’ve never understood why there is not a promotion and relegation clash for the Championship. It would improve it massively. However, Italy are improving. 

They beat Wales and Australia in 2022 but I wouldn’t read too much into the Wallaby result given they had so many injuries. Italy will finish last again this year, but hopefully we see them get a result and scare some teams. The threat of relegation would bring the best out of them and is what the Six Nations badly needs.

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