If the old adage goes that you cannot win the World Cup during the warm-ups but you can lose it, Steve Borthwick can console himself that this disappointing defeat need not be terminal. There is no need to overly panic after what goes down as a third loss in a row and a fourth in six under Borthwick. But after insisting his players stick to the script, rather than worrying about Monday’s squad announcement, you have to wonder if it needs rewriting.
For the most worrying aspect – other than the dreadfully misfiring lineout – is that it was not abundantly clear what England were even trying to achieve against an unknown Wales side. If we are being kind to England then we can conclude that this was a waste of time that Borthwick simply does not have, and while there is the obvious caveat that his was nothing like his first-choice side, that opening warm-up matches are often of limited value, it must be remembered that Wales began the summer at a similar ebb. They now have some wind in their sails whereas England’s remain limp.
