The inquiry will be tough and honest, but England won’t be stewing on their 31-20 defeat to Scotland on Saturday as they simply can’t afford to.
The brutal nature of the Six Nations means there can be no time wasted sulking or wondering ‘what if?’… It’s what makes the competition so compelling for fans and so hard to win for the players.
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England arrived back at Pennyhill Park on Sunday with small-group conversations and personal reflections no doubt having already taken place. By the time Monday morning rolls around, a lot of the review would have taken place.
Then, the focus shifts to Ireland. A group on the up after earning their first win of the campaign against Italy.
“I [review] in varied ways and I think that’s important to keep a variety … To ensure that we have the full engagement in what we’re trying to do,” Borthwick explained.
“What I’ll do is I’ll see how the players are tomorrow, check in with them, but [Sunday] night we’ll get together. By then the players will have done all their reviews [and] meet with their respective coaches.”
Borthwick and the players were visibly dejected as they packed themselves up in the bowels of Murrayfield Stadium. The positives won’t have been on the mind, but they were there. The scrum was solid and Ben Earl in particular produced a spirited performance.
They also have a chance to quickly get back in the winner’s circle.
Typically, the tournament would break for a fallow week after two matches but this year’s competition is condensed, meaning, thankfully for England, they can quickly right the wrongs.
“We’d hate to go into a fallow week now and try to lick in your wounds after a result like that, so it’s perfect,” scrum-half Alex Mitchell said.
“We’ve got another chance to go Ireland on Saturday. So again, it’s perfect timing.”
Mitchell said despite the physical demands, spirits are high and he’s confident the squad will be ready for Ireland.
“I personally feel really good. I think the team’s in a good spot,” he said. “Obviously it’s playing Test matches each week, it is demanding on the body, but I think everyone prefers this [tournament] setup.
“The fallow week, you lose a bit momentum in the competition. So me personally, I love the new setup and yeah, everyone’s in a good place.”
Some of Saturday’s stats make for grim reading.
They were dominated at the breakdown, losing 20 turnovers to Scotland’s six. Borthwick lamented his side’s inability to convert chances, with just 1.1 points from nine 22 entries.
On the flip side, these are things this squad know they can clean up in a week.
The Six Nations gives you the chance to make an immediate response, but it also means the pressure can pile up quickly and it will if they struggle against Ireland.
