Who dares victories. Sas's motto summed up England's feat on Saturday, and not only because they joined, but still achieved their mission with a lethal lightning.
The slogan of the Special Forces Unit Elite was also applied to his chief coach. Steve Borthwick had been making the daring part, but the profit was avoiding it. That changed in a pulsating climax to Le Crunch.
England fought for a last shot and then took it. His execution was supreme and Elliot Daly delivered the murderous final, before the end conversion Smith sealed a discomfort of the six nations.
There is no doubt that the hosts escaped victory. France sent this result and handed it to its rivals of crossed channels with an arc, but the English still had to take advantage of the offering and did it with poise. It could be a turning point. Time will say it.
Borthwick had earned a fate of luck, he had really done it. In the midst of all justified complaints about the stagnant progress of his team, after a 2024 return of seven losses in 12 tests, then a losing start of this championship campaign in Dublin, the man in charge continued making bold calls. Now, he has a reward for showing for risk taking. Fortune favors the brave and all that.
With the back to the wall and knowing that the bets were very high, Borthwick went bankrupt to name Smith at the end of 10 for his first start and change Marcus Smith to full-back. He also chose Tom Willis for a complete debut, after a couple of banking cameos. The plan was worth it. What an unexpected major prize.
England assured his first victory in the six nations courtesy of a dramatic victory over France
It was a greatly welcome result for Steve Borthwick, whose bet was rewarded with a victory
However, France sent this result and handed it to the red rose with an arc
Under the person who presents the world, Borthwick has repeatedly demonstrated the true courage as a selector. Before joining the Smiths, he had relocated Marcus to 15 before the World Cup and then repeated the ploy during the tournament, when everything was at stake. Last year he quickly passed Chandler Cunningham-South, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, End Baxter and Asher Opoku-Fordjour. He let Ben Earl be lost in the center of the field.
More recently, he made a tough call from the Captaincy, removing the role to the popular and passionate Jamie George and trusting Maro Iteje. Despite some doubts about the moment, he was considered a cunning attempt to change the narrative around his team.
For so long, Borthwick could not take a break, since the setbacks accumulated. The Fallas of Marcus Smith, of the TEE, proved to be expensive against the All Blacks in Dunedin, then George Ford lost the agonizing shots in the glory against the opponents themselves in November, before a failed restart allowed the Wallabies to twist the knife in English wounds seven days later. The national team became almost lost specialists, losing by margins of a single figure; Two, one, seven, two, five, nine and five. Marmot Day Agonies.
Then, only the most burning skeptic, and they have not yet faded, I would appreciate Borthwick this moment, since the miserable cycle was dramatically broke. France was like a champion golfer who suddenly succumbed to the Putt 'Yips'. Even Antoine Dupont unrained.
He was surreal to see. They couldn't catch a cold. Thomas Ramos was abject. These are superstar. Put them in toulouse or burgundy shirts and are superhuman. But on Twickenham, they were comically horrible. Almost 10 million French saw the game on television at home and most of them must have shrugged behind the couch long before the end. It was a horror show.
Even England's escape law contained a touch of good fortune, since the prominent Alex Mitchell kicked around the 22 of the visitors to the left and the ball bounced clumsily, that the branches of the wrong feet and led him to grant a penalty of breakdown. From there, the trigger was taken by experts; Catch and Drive, Mitchell, to Ollie Lawrence, Drag-back passes to end Smith, slight delay and then chose Daly's career for the gap, to leave Dupont agitated and beaten.
But it was much more than luck. The Bank of England did its job this time. The replacements added final impulse of the quarter; that has missed so often in the sterile months. George was excellent, just like Ollie Chessum. End Baxter obtained a driving attempt. Joe Heyes crashed into collisions with pleasure. The cavalry brought energy, power and Nous, but Borthwick did not plan it before, so he trusted what he saw and left Mitchell until the end. Wise movement.
Elliot Daly trying the last minute insured an incredible bonus point victory for Les Bleus
Borthwick had risked when choosing both end (above) and Marcus Smith, but it worked
Much of the approach after the game was in the games creators, but just as significant was the novelty of a balanced England row that eclipses the galics rivals that Eclipsan. For the second consecutive week, Tom Curry was imperative, back at the top of his powers. The relentless flanker of Sale was the true player of the game, despite an official verdict otherwise.
Earl produced a dynamic 80 -minute performance because it was released to do so by the presence of Tom Willis, to provide a direct exit and an abrasive presence. Then Ben Curry joined the rear guard action and helped Earl win the decisive final penalty. Everyone contributed and simply worked as planned. All the bases were covered.
Of course, now the crucial task is to support this. England has broken the lost race, fed by challenge and despair, to maintain a better performance pattern when they have been ruled out. But it will be difficult to preserve a siege mentality when there is praise in the air again around it, so alternative driving forces will be required to boost them towards the clash of the Calcuta Cup with Scotland on February 22. Metal of defeats in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 should do the trick.
What follows in terms of selection? Borthwick must continue making bold and difficult calls. You must decide, in general terms, if it is better to maintain a horsepower formula or retain the combinations that served it well against France. Another stick or turn dilemma is coming.
End Smith will hope to keep the shirt no 10 after overcoming the nerves that left him, in his own words, playing as a 'rabbit in the headlights', to orchestrate the late increase in victory and kick the winning points. But Marcus Smith cannot be discounted, despite some mistakes, since he struggled to light a return.
It is still a valuable asset of factor X, but when George Furbank is again in shape, the back place will be at stake and the influential contingent of the Northampton background could grow.
Borthwick's men confiscated the offering of France with poise to claim a great victory
Even the world superstar Antoine Dupont seemed sponge her lines on Saturday on Twickenham
If a beautiful victory translates into a new impulse, a challenge of the title is available to England. But for now, this was a result to provide breathing space for a regime that needed tangible evidence to go with all progress statements.
When the members of the Board and the Council of the RFU appeared before the waiting coaches on Saturday night, there was an air of collective relief and good joy, despite the agitation that has wrapped the union lately.
The winner of England cannot solve all the evils and problems of the game, but his ups and downs disproportionately dictate the mood of the sport in this country. The victory over France, which had been so overwhelming favorite before the initial serve, should have a positive domain effect.
As for Borthwick, it is as if he were sitting at a roulette table (however difficult it is to imagine), all except out of the potatoes the wheel continues to turn.
The chief coach obtained this good fortune. It was not a complete and emphatic transformation; A good result to avoid more pain, but it was a beginning, a step and an axis of light, to rekindle the hope of faded English.