Borthwick issues demand of England players for Six Nations opener vs Scotland
Steve Borthwick has demanded England forget the past and come out fighting when he takes charge for the first time.
Twickenham is sold out for the Six Nations opener against Scotland and the new boss said: “I want the players fighting, getting to the next battle, bringing all the strengths they have into the England shirt on that pitch.
“I can’t rewrite history, neither can the players, all we can do is influence what is going to happen in the future.”
Borthwick is desperate to erase the memory of England being booed off Twickenham the last time they played there under Eddie Jones.
“I certainly didn’t enjoy hearing that,” he revealed. “I was watching it at home on television and that night I was like a bear with a sore head.
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“I was so gutted for the team. I watched the players walk off the pitch and I just saw hurt, because I’ve been there.
"You want to do so well. You try to do so well. And if it doesn’t go how you want it to, you feel all these different emotions.
“You’re hurting and you just want to go straight back out there and try to put it right. England have had to wait all this time to be able to pull the white shirt on again. These players are desperate to take a step forwards.”
England have not beaten Scotland at home since 2017 and Borthwick knows they stand a much better chance with the 82,000 crowd behind them.
"In every single study I ever read, the impact of home support is worth more than any one player," he said.
"So I ask them to be behind this team. This is the first step of the team, the first step in this next chapter.”
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