Steve Borthwick’s voice cracked as he addressed the England team after their agonising 16-15 defeat by South Africa in the World Cup semi-final. In front of him was a group of devastated players, the scale of the pain all the greater because they had so believed they would win. That alone tells a story, given Borthwick inherited a team at the turn of the year that was disconnected and tactically confused.
The head coach apologised to his men for not getting them over the line. He had stayed patient while the brickbats flew and stuck to his five-month World Cup plan. The 12-1 outsiders, a team who came into the tournament ranked No 8 in the world, had come within two minutes of dethroning the champions. There were moments to rue but Borthwick had nothing to apologise for.
Out on the field, a tearful Freddie Steward had been down on his haunches. Ollie Lawrence had buried his face in the turf when the final whistle blew. Their time will come again. But this was it for Courtney Lawes. The England vice-captain will retire from international rugby after this World Cup. Lawes, 34, walked a lap of the stadium with his four children and waved a final farewell to the international game; one of the England old guard who went out on their shields at the Stade de France.
Joe Marler and Dan Cole, resurrected from the 2019 final for this campaign, were key to a dominant performance from the pack for the first 50 minutes. England’s scrum was on top and their maul defence was incredible, at one stage repelling an 11-man South Africa lineout. Jonny May, who had already said this was his final campaign, was winning turnovers and high balls.
Every small win was roared by players and fans alike. This was not a fluid game but a staccato contest of crunching physicality and crushing tension. Phase one of Borthwick’s game plan could not have gone any better, with England opening up a 15-6 lead.
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There was a time when New Zealand’s players did not know Lawes’s name. Now he is globally revered as a hard rugby player and a fine man, having come to epitomise England’s big-game mentality. He turned it on against South Africa; as he did in Australia last summer when England’s backs were against the wall; as he did on two tours for the British & Irish Lions.
The Test centurion from Northampton had spoken about his desire to leave a legacy for his children. Mission accomplished. “This was my last World Cup,” he said. “The kids are at that age where they need their dad around. It will be good to be with them more, to provide some well-needed structure to the mob.
“It’s a bit of an end of an era, but it’s been a real honour for me to represent England for so long. To be able to finish with this group, it’s something I’ll treasure forever.”
Lawes has one season left with Northampton Saints. Marler and Danny Care have contracts with Harlequins until the end of the season but expect their England time to be up. Ditto Cole, who achieved some personal redemption for his savaging by the Springboks in the 2019 final.
“I’d prefer to have won the game,” he said, a not unsurprising response from a man who did not touch the ball for two games and takes most pride in the dirty work of tackling, hitting rucks and scrummaging. “I had a job today. Myself, Marler and Jamie George will look back on this game in the future with some pride. But it’s one of those tournaments where you look at it and for the rest of your life you will think, ‘What if?’ ”
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There will be others in the same boat, having definitely played at their last World Cup or even in their final England Test. About a third of the squad thought this would be their final campaign. Manu Tuilagi felt that in 2019 so he is definitely one. Perhaps Billy Vunipola, too. Joe Marchant will not play for at least a couple of years beyond this World Cup having signed for Stade Français.
There will be a changing of the guard as this season unfolds and we saw one baton being passed in the chaos of the semi-final. Where once Lawes set the tone for bone-crunching tackles, on Saturday night it was George Martin. The Leicester Tigers lock thundered around the field levelling Springboks, in concert with Tom Curry and Ben Earl. Martin’s hit on Franco Mostert to dislodge the ball on England’s line was his personal favourite.
“George Martin has excellent potential,” Borthwick said. “He is already a top-quality player. You look at him with Ollie Chessum as well and not enough people have talked about Maro Itoje. I thought his performance was tremendous.” Earl was England’s player of the World Cup. Curry could not have given any more.
It added up to England leading 15-6 with 11 minutes remaining, having stressed the Springboks almost to breaking point. At one stage South Africa held an emergency council of war in the coaching box, with Rassie Erasmus, the director of rugby, barking orders.
The Springboks ultimately prevailed because, first, they had the coaching wisdom and experience to think their way out of deep trouble, which included hooking Manie Libbok and Eben Etzebeth early in the game; and second, their back-up props are arguably better than their starters.
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England, in contrast, were weaker in the set piece after sending on Ellis Genge and Kyle Sinckler to join Jamie George, who played 80 minutes once again. That is an unsustainable situation but will remain until Theo Dan is trusted or Luke Cowan-Dickie fit. Ox Nche, the man whose motto is “salads don’t win scrums” feasted on them.
England’s front row had their gripes about the final, match-winning scrum penalty. George argued at the time that Vincent Koch was boring in. The still images support his argument. But the picture in the referee’s mind had been set and the penalty went against England. “The scrum was one of the key factors,” Borthwick said. “I credit South Africa with the way they have found a way to get a result.”
South Africa’s bench is unparalleled. Borthwick, in contrast, has gaps in his depth chart. England will need to find a new midfield partnership for the Six Nations. Behind Genge and Sinckler the prop stocks are thin. When he returns from the World Cup, Borthwick will lobby hard for structural changes being negotiated by the RFU and Premiership Rugby.
England’s success has always been in spite of the system. Borthwick wants more direct control over his England players and for improvements to the pathway system that was devastated by the RFU in 2018. A structure for the new agreement, involving a form of hybrid player contracts, is due to be announced in December.
England still have one game to play in France, against Argentina for the bronze medal on Friday night. The physical and emotional toll those senior players went through makes it unlikely Borthwick will press them into action again. Plus, there is the future to consider. It would make sense to play Bevan Rodd, Theo Dan, and Henry Arundell.
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“I will pick a team to get the result we want on Friday night,” Borthwick said. “It is important for so many reasons. I want players playing big games at World Cups and I want them having that experience.”
South Africa, meanwhile, move on to play New Zealand in the final, having been forced to dig mighty deep to defeat France and England, each by a single point. It was a measure of England’s performance that Jacques Nienaber, the Springboks head coach, buried his face in his hands at the final whistle, unable to look up; the sense of relief overwhelming. South Africa had led for only two minutes in the game — but they were the only two minutes that mattered. “It’s sport, isn’t it,” Lawes said. A cruel mistress at times.
