England's 2026 Six Nations campaign ended with a last-gasp 48-46 defeat by France in Paris on Saturday night, according to multiple reports. This result capped what multiple sources describe as England's worst-ever tournament, where they won just one of five games, finished fifth, and conceded the greatest number of points and tries in their history. The team lost four games for the first time in the championship since 1976, and they suffered a first-ever defeat to Italy in the Six Nations, compounding the dismal record.
High expectations were shattered as England's tournament unraveled with key losses and disciplinary issues. Multiple reports indicate that England had been expected to challenge for the title before the tournament began. However, the campaign was marred by incidents such as Henry Arundell receiving a red card in Edinburgh, and George Ford was dropped after the Scotland and Ireland defeats, according to multiple sources. These setbacks contributed to a broader collapse in form and discipline.
After an excellent week's preparation in Girona, we look forward to the challenge of playing Italy in Rome.
Immediate fallout has seen the Rugby Football Union launch a review into the team's under-performance in the Six Nations, with multiple reports confirming this process is currently underway. Steve Borthwick demanded a probe into England's failures, as stated by the coach himself. The deeply disappointing campaign has led pundits and fans to call for Steve Borthwick's dismissal, according to multiple reports, but conflicting information suggests he is not getting sacked in the morning, as also reported by multiple sources. The exact status of Borthwick's position remains unclear amid these contradictory assessments.
Tactical criticism has focused on England's style of play, which multiple reports describe as overly kick-heavy and conservative. This approach has come under scrutiny for potentially contributing to the team's poor results, though the specific ways it impacted outcomes are not detailed in the available information. The review may address these tactical choices as part of its broader examination.
Winning a first cap for your country is always a very special occasion.
Player controversies added to the turmoil, with Freddie Steward substituted before half-time against Ireland and not used in the final two games against Italy and France, according to multiple reports. The exact reasons for his dropping have not been disclosed. In the France match, Maro Itoje conceded the telling penalty at the end, as reported by multiple sources, a moment that sealed the narrow defeat.
Despite the overall disappointment, glimmers of hope emerged from the France defeat. Multiple reports indicate that England's performance against France gave hope for the future and was brimming with positives, though the specific details of these positives are not elaborated. This suggests some resilience and potential for improvement amid the broader failures.
We've been blessed with the 10s we've got and Fin has been in camp before.
Individual performances provided minor bright spots, with Tommy Freeman scoring three tries in the tournament, according to multiple reports. His contributions were among the few highlights in an otherwise bleak campaign, though they were insufficient to alter the team's fortunes significantly.
In wider tournament context, Wales were awarded the wooden spoon for the third consecutive year, as reported by multiple sources. This highlights that England were not alone in struggling, though their performance was particularly historic in its scale of failure.
Steve Borthwick has referred to the weight of the jersey proving restrictive for England players.
Historical comparison reveals a stark contrast with recent years. England got their 2024 Guinness Six Nations campaign off to winning ways with a 24-27 triumph over Italy in Rome, according to research from two sources, and they held on to register a 24-27 win—their 31st over Italy. This stands in direct contradiction to claims of a first-ever defeat to Italy in 2026, underscoring the dramatic decline.
The 2024 Italy match buildup featured coaching debuts and previous encounters. Research from two sources indicates that Saturday's fixture was the first time either head coach had taken charge of a senior national side at Stadio Olimpico. Steve Borthwick faced Italy as England head coach in last season's 31-14 encounter at Twickenham, and for Gonzalo Quesada this was a first taste of international rugby as Italy's head coach. The last time the two sides met, Jack Willis, Ollie Chessum, Jamie George, and Henry Arundell all scored for England while Marco Riccioni and Alessandro Fusco crossed for the Azzurri.
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Detailed lineups for the 2024 match show England's starting XV included Freddie Steward, Tommy Freeman, Henry Slade, Fraser Dingwall, Elliot Daly, George Ford, Alex Mitchell, Joe Marler, Jamie George as captain, Will Stuart, Maro Itoje, Ollie Chessum, Ethan Roots, Sam Underhill, and Ben Earl, with replacements Theo Dan, Beno Obano, Dan Cole, Alex Coles, Chandler Cunningham-South, Danny Care, Fin Smith, and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, according to research from two sources. Italy's starting lineup featured Tommaso Allan, Ange Capuozzo, Juan Ignacio Brex, Tommaso Menoncello, Monty Ioane, Paolo Garbisi, Alessandro Garbisi, Danilo Fischetti, Gianmarco Lucchesi, Pietro Ceccarelli, Niccolo Cannone, Federico Ruzza, Sebastian Negri, Michele Lamaro as captain, and Lorenzo Cannone, with replacements Giacomo Nicotera, Mirco Spagnolo, Giosue Zilocchi, Andrea Zambonin, Edoardo Iachizzi, Manuel Zuliani, Stephen Varney, and Lorenzo Pani.
Action in the 2024 match saw Italy set a blistering pace to the Test as full back Allan put early points on the board landing a long-range penalty inside five minutes, according to research from two sources. Italy had their opening try shortly after the early penalty, with Lorenzo Cannone leading the charge before offloading to Alessandro Garbisi to dot down under the posts. England scored tries from Elliot Daly and Alex Mitchell, and George Ford scored 17 points from the boot for England, while Italy's performance was spearheaded by Tommaso Allan's 12 points, and they scored tries courtesy of Alessandro Garbisi and Monty Ioane.
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Highlights from the 2024 match included Tommy Freeman making a line break, rounding Garbisi to put Daly away in the corner for a try. Tommaso Allan became Italy's record try scorer and points scorer in the Guinness Six Nations. Alex Mitchell spotted an opportunity from the base of a 15-metre ruck, dummying his way through a gap and spinning out of tackles until he powered over the line.
Drama in the closing stages of the 2024 match involved Fin Smith making his debut for England, replacing George Ford. Jamie George left the field with six minutes remaining, with Maro Itoje taking over the captaincy. Elliot Daly was shown a yellow card in the closing stages after tripping Menoncello, and Italy captain Michele Lamaro suffered a yellow card minutes later for repeated infringements at the breakdown. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso earned his first Test cap, replacing Tommy Freeman.