Borthwick set to become only fourth England head coach to reach 50 Tests in charge

Steve Borthwick will become only the fourth head coach in England rugby history to oversee 50 Tests when his side host Japan in the fifth round of the Nations Championship at Allianz Park on Saturday, surpassing Geoff Cooke’s record of 49 matches in charge.

Borthwick was appointed Eddie Jones’ successor on 19 December 2022, just nine months before the Rugby World Cup, having previously served as Jones’ assistant with both England and Japan. Only Sir Clive Woodward and Jones — 84 Tests each — and Stuart Lancaster (52) have led England in more matches.

His tenure began with a 29-23 home defeat to Scotland in the 2023 Six Nations, but Borthwick did not have to wait long for his first win, a 31-14 victory over Italy followed by a 20-10 success in Cardiff. England were then brought sharply back to earth by a record 53-10 home thrashing by France and a 29-16 defeat in Dublin, finishing fourth in that year’s Championship.

The 2023 Rugby World Cup, however, reshaped perceptions of his tenure. England reached the semi-finals, losing to eventual champions South Africa by a single point, and finished third — a result that exceeded most expectations and significantly raised Borthwick’s standing.

Progress since has been uneven. England climbed to third in the 2024 Six Nations, but a 3-0 series defeat to New Zealand that summer underlined the gap to the world’s elite. The autumn brought further frustration, with a 42-37 Twickenham defeat to Australia and a heavy loss to South Africa.

The 2025 Six Nations opened with another defeat to Ireland, yet four consecutive wins — two of them by a single point — left England just one point off the Championship lead heading into the closing rounds.

Ten players from Borthwick’s first squad remain in his current group: Ellis Genge, Jamie George, Maro Itoje, Ollie Chessum, Ben Curry and Ben Earl among the forwards, with Jack van Poortvliet, Marcus Smith, Freddie Steward and Joe Marchant in the backs.

England’s world ranking of fifth is unchanged from when Borthwick took over, though their ranking score has risen by 3.33 points to 86.99. It is a modest marker of progress, but one his supporters will point to as evidence of incremental improvement across 50 Tests in charge.

Recently, amid newspaper reports alleging he had created a toxic environment within the squad, Borthwick revealed that former England head coaches had sent him private messages of support — a detail that speaks to the pressures that have accompanied his milestone run.