In a match that left the nation heartbroken, Steve Borthwick watched on in horror as England crashed out of the Rugby World Cup.
With revenge on the mind, England walked out to the Stade de France in Paris, on Saturday night, to play a repeat of the 2019 final. And while they fell short to The Springboks’ on that fateful evening at the International Stadium in Yokohama, Japan, they had full faith in their ability to turn things around.
Alas, Borthwick’s men couldn’t quite secure the redemption they so desperately craved.
In a match with twists and turns galore, England looked on course to complete their fairytale run to the final, until a moment of madness cost them the game.
Having already thrown away a 15-6 lead, the underdogs only needed to hang on for three more minutes. Alas, they were unable to do so. To the dismay of the fans, the New Zealand referee penalised the English for collapsing the scrum and rewarded their rivals with a penalty.
With a cool head, Handre Pollard stepped up to the spot with awe-inspiring confidence, landing his effort from 49-metres out, to send his side through to the final.
Sadly, this ended the dream for England, who’ve fallen short to South Africa once again. However, despite history repeating itself, Toby Flood, believes the gaffer deserves another chance.
Toby Flood insists that England shouldn’t write off Steve Borthwick yet
In an exclusive interview with BettingSites.co.uk, the fly-half claimed: “It would be very hard to kick someone out after such a short time having been thrown into the Six Nations and having made a World Cup semi-final. He deserves time. But if the games remain turgid and uninspiring and people stop coming to watch games, then who knows?
“But there is an argument to give him time without the pressure and the shackles of having to prepare for a World Cup, give him time to look at the team he has and decide what he needs without the pressure of having to perform at a World Cup.”
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