The England great calls it “foolish.” Steve Borthwick’s “parking the bus” during the All Blacks’ defeat
Will Greenwood, a former center, has criticized head coach Steve Borthwick for benching Marcus Smith during England’s dominance against the All Blacks. At Twickenham on Saturday, the 25-year-old had a great game, scoring 17 points to lead 22–14 going into the last quarter.
Smith’s departure was unexpected because he also set up Immanuel Feyi-Waboso’s try with a brilliant break after an intercept. George Ford took his place for the last eighteen minutes, but the seasoned playmaker’s performance was quite disastrous. Ford’s mistakes Ford was wrong with two late kicks as New Zealand won 24–22, first missing the tackle on Mark Tele’a before the wing scored his second try. “Letting that lead slip, at home, with the way the game had gone, was nigh-on unforgivable,” wrote Greenwood in his Telegraph column, expressing his frustration.
The result also carried on a trend for England, who had lost close games three times in 2024, including against the All Blacks. “Closing games has evolved from a problem for England to a chronic ailment. Additionally, the focus of the second-half collapse was on head coach Steve Borthwick’s substitutes, according to Greenwood. When Ford replaced the fly-half in the 62nd minute, Marcus Smith had already scored 17 points and was six from six off the tee. Since he hobbled off with a thigh injury in the sixth minute of Sale’s defeat at Saracens on September 28, Ford has not participated in a single rugby match.
“Smith was in control, and although Ford is a good player, he was rusty. He missed a tackle that would have led to Mark Tele’a’s late try, a late penalty, and a drop-goal. At the time, it seemed silly to replace a 17-point fly-half, and Ford’s skewed potential match-winner proved it to be so.
“The change appeared to have been planned and had nothing to do with the events of the game. One frequently encounters their fate on the route they choose to avoid it, to paraphrase Kung Fu Panda. Player ratings for England: Magic After George Ford fatally fails in Twickenham sorrow, Marcus Smith is now the “incumbent.” Greenwood concluded the game by saying that, once Ford entered the field, England’s strategy was completely incorrect. When Smith was replaced by the fly-half, the Red Rose great argued that Borthwick’s team was predictable, which ultimately led to their demise.
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