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Ex-England back-row relieved Borthwick has 'moved on from the big guys'
England came close to reclaiming the Men’s Six Nations title, with Steve Borthwick’s team finishing second, just behind France. Former England international Teimana Harrison has followed his former teammates closely and expressed optimism for the future.
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“I think England has started to transition from that kicked-focus game they played two years ago. You look at their backline now, and you instantly notice a serious threats. It seems they are trying to run the ball a little bit more now, and when they opt to kick it is a much more contestable ball,” said the now-Provence personnel.
Harrison moved to the French side Aix-en-Provence in 2023 but hasn’t lost interest in his adoptive country or its national team. Finn Smith, a former teammate of Harrison, was one of England’s best performers in the Six Nations.
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The fly half’s performances don’t come as a shock to the New Zealander-born.
“It doesn’t surprise me. When I first watched him play for the Saints, he was pretty much doing the same thing that he is doing now for England. I am glad that he got his chance and that he took it. I hope they keep him in that role as he is their best option for the fly half duties.”
Harrison, who earned five caps for England in 2016, offers a quick analysis of the changes introduced by Borthwick.
“Look, for example, how well Ben Earl did as a centre. It shows they’ve moved on from the big guys like Thomas Waldrom, Billy Vunipola and Nathan Hughes to a more hybrid kind of loose forward. And they are all relatively young, which makes them an even more exciting team to watch. Now they have Henry Pollock coming through the ranks, with an incredible debut with two tries. I hope he continues to get his chances as he is an exciting prospect for the back row.”
After a difficult spell, England has begun to regain its former strength, and for the 32-year-old, things are looking promising.
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“I hope they just keep progressing. It was pretty hard after Eddie Jones’ departure. He took the team to 2nd place in the World Rugby rankings, so the transition was never going to be an easy task.
“They had that downfall and are again making good progress. They just have to stick to their guns and don’t change their current game plan as it is making an impact. I think they will be a strong setup in the next couple of years.”
England’s Six Nations campaign was rated highly by Harrison.
“For me, this year’s Six Nations campaign was a big success. You compare it to last year and can already observe quite a significant change. They only lost to Ireland in a very close game. Their confidence is building up, and I hope the the summer tour will be used to bleed the new youngsters and bring them into the fold.”
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