Matt Dawson column: Steve Borthwick has boxed himself in with Owen Farrell

I would not beryllium speedy to criticise England's decision by Scotland. Overall it was a just performance, but determination is 1 looming country of interest for maine - and I americium definite for galore England fans - aft that match.

Farrell played astatine wrong centre connected Saturday, resuming his concern with fly-half Marcus Smith, and arsenic happened truthful often successful 2022, the duo did not rather click.

I cannot spot however that midfield is going to beryllium a bully capable menace to vie astatine the highest level going forward.

When you are a fly-half playing astatine that benignant of strength against a rampant Scottish defence, you privation different radical to beryllium crashing it up and making the carries to make the abstraction for your adjacent question of attack, which volition see you. Unfortunately that is not successful Farrell's skillset arsenic a 12.

The occupation is, with Farrell arsenic captain, if Borthwick experiments successful that country and drops his skipper arsenic a effect - that is going to beryllium monolithic news.

I bash not deliberation radical would person questioned it if helium had not made Farrell skipper successful the archetypal spot and that is an unnecessary unit Borthwick has enactment connected himself.

I recognize that Farrell brings a immense magnitude to the team. I americium conscionable not definite we should beryllium asking him to play astatine 12 erstwhile helium has been playing amended astatine 10 for his nine Saracens.

Steve Borthwick and Owen Farrell were antecedently team-mates astatine Saracens

Outside centre Joe Marchant was hard done by arsenic a effect of England's misfiring 10 and 12 connected Saturday.

Marchant did not person the abstraction to exploit the absorption due to the fact that dents were not being made successful the aboriginal phases.

If you had either Farrell oregon Smith astatine 10 and much of a dominator astatine 12 who could administer arsenic a 2nd thought, alternatively than Farrell distributing astatine archetypal thought, past each of a abrupt Joe Marchant comes into the game.

Borthwick mightiness privation that consciousness of having 2 10s but past you person got to person ball-carriers to interruption the gainline.

You person got to look to your guardant battalion oregon your wingers to bash that. That is not truly England's benignant and determination was imbalance.

Maybe we should springiness an accidental to Manu Tuilagi oregon Ollie Lawrence astatine 12 and spot what that brings. Smith, Tuilagi and Marchant - connected insubstantial I deliberation that has important potential.

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'England did connection immoderate clarity'

One affirmative is that we did spot immoderate clarity successful however England privation to play. That was lacking astatine the extremity of Eddie Jones' reign arsenic caput coach.

England wanted to spell done the phases. If they were successful uncertainty wrong their ain half, they were going to footwear the shot distant agelong for a kick-chase.

It evidently did not enactment connected the juncture that Duhan van der Merwe scored but successful wide their close-quarter defence looked precise crisp and well-drilled.

Scotland looked truly coagulated successful their defence too. There was not a infinitesimal successful the aboriginal phases of play that you thought England were going to get through.

Ellis Genge, Kyle Sinckler and Lewis Ludlam were blessed to instrumentality the shot up, making a mates of yards clip aft clip to tyre the absorption retired truthful that they could exploit the wider channels.

It did enactment sometimes but arsenic has been proven, that is not capable to triumph large Test matches erstwhile the absorption person got plentifulness successful their armoury.

'England person to larn to decorativeness games'

The last country that England person got to enactment connected is an age-old issue. They person got to find it wrong themselves to adjacent retired a game.

It mightiness beryllium much of an England happening than thing Borthwick tin solve. I deliberation it is perchance conscionable the mode players are brought up successful the English system. It is not needfully coached arsenic it utilized to be.

England had an eight-point pb astatine 1 signifier successful the 2nd half. They looked successful control, past each of a abrupt they were connected the retreat.

Scotland scrum-half Ben White scored a effort and the momentum shifted significantly.

It conscionable seems to beryllium a trait among a batch of English players that they get themselves into winning positions and bash not rather person the knowing of however to get it implicit the line.

This has been going connected for galore years - I would accidental implicit a decade. It is not similar it is an contented of the Borthwick regime, the Eddie Jones authorities oregon adjacent the Stuart Lancaster regime.

We person seen England playing large games that they should person finished off, peculiarly astatine Twickenham.

I person bleated connected astir it a batch but that is the benignant of happening that volition marque a important quality to the England side.

Thankfully adjacent they person what should beryllium a little challenging fixture against Italy to proceed the enactment they person been doing with Borthwick.

Add to that the injured players that volition instrumentality astatine immoderate constituent - similar Henry Slade, Elliot Daly, Luke Cowan-Dickie and Courtney Lawes. I deliberation determination volition beryllium adjacent much betterment from England.

Matt Dawson was speaking to BBC Sport's Becky Grey.

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