No more excuses, England – Steve Borthwick's side must be bold, brave and adventurous this autumn… or kiss goodbye to their World Cup dreams

The presence of top British sprinter Amy Hunt at England camp this week felt appropriate – because Steve Borthwick and his players face the equivalent of a 100-metre dash to put themselves in genuine contention to win the World Cup.

With less than a year to go until the next global showpiece in Australia, England have significant work to do in a short period of time. This month’s Nations Championship matches are vital. Genuine signs of progress have to be seen now – or England can pretty much kiss goodbye to their dreams of glory Down Under.

There can be no excuses either. England have everything they need to be successful – the player quality, squad depth, financial clout and backroom resources.

Borthwick and his players lack for nothing. Now, they must deliver. England enter their November Tests against Australia, Japan and New Zealand ranked fifth in the world. They are World Cup outsiders – a team with hopes of taking down the mighty South Africa, New Zealand and France, but only a small chance of actually doing so.

For that to change, England need to not only string a run of victories together, but also show the team’s loyal supporters they have a clear identity.

England can win the World Cup. But the clock is ticking.

Team GB sprinter Amy Hunt came into England’s camp on Wednesday to meet Maro Itoje and Co – now Borthwick’s side must fire the starting gun on their World Cup assault

Ahead of a must-win game with the Wallabies, Tommy Freeman and Joe Heyes – both expected to start at Twickenham on Sunday – expressed ‘full confidence’ in the team’s direction of travel. RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney placed his full faith in Borthwick for the foreseeable, extending his head coach’s contract to the middle of 2028 regardless of what happens in the next 12 months.

‘We’re committed to Steve, we believe in what he’s doing,’ said Sweeney. ‘We had a difficult Six Nations this year, we accept that, but we just want to see continued progress. We’re backing him to get that done.’

Sweeney’s statement could be considered a means of taking the pressure off Borthwick. His job is safe, regardless of what happens in the months to come.

But it could actually increase the expectation. After England’s worst ever Six Nations this year ended in a fifth-place finish and a first defeat by Italy, Sweeney and the RFU suits will look foolish if England fall further adrift of the world’s top-ranked sides in the weeks to come. That cannot be allowed to happen.

‘We have been a bit up and down. We want results,’ Northampton wing Freeman admitted. ‘It’s fine margins in international rugby. It’s all about winning. If we lose a couple of games, we’re not going to do very well at the World Cup – that’s how the outside might view it.

‘It might upset confidence, but we’re always going with the plan. We’ll be very focused on performance.’

After England’s disastrous Six Nations, the summer was slightly better – wins over Fiji and Argentina following a defeat by South Africa. But there can be no doubt that in the past 12 months, England have not been the sum of their parts, losing five of their last seven Tests.

That has to change this month and Borthwick, thankfully, has reinforced that message to his players. There are just three campaigns and 12 matches until England begin their World Cup bid.

After a disastrous Six Nations, England were thumped in South Africa in July – but the likes of Tommy Freeman (left) are adamant the team is on the right track 

There can be no doubt that in the past 12 months, England have not been the sum of their parts, losing five of their last seven Tests

South Africa showed in 2019 you can go from an international rugby also-ran to global champions in the space of a year, so all is not lost for England. Their forwards look in good shape, even if there is a lack of challenge to hookers Jamie George and Luke Cowan-Dickie.

England have a strong scrum, a powerful, mobile pack and young tyros such as Henry Pollock who can cause havoc in a game’s latter stages. There is hope captain Maro Itoje can get back to his best too after being rested in the summer.

There can be no doubt that Borthwick, a former second row, is an expert at getting a tune out of the forwards. The questions remain behind the scrum.

England need to be bold. Brave. Adventurous. The rest of the rugby world are playing an attacking game and England are behind the eight ball. ‘It’s more prescribed rugby, as opposed to instinctive,’ Ronan O’Gara, the former Ireland fly-half and one of the game’s great thinkers, told Daily Mail Sport.

Borthwick has to flip that narrative, allow highly rated attack coach Lee Blackett to have more of an impact on the team, and settle on an established centre pairing that can bring the best out of world-class wingers Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso.

The news that first-choice No10 Fin Smith is likely to be available for Australia is a big positive. England do have injuries to the likes of Alex Mitchell and Guy Pepper, and Tom Curry is now a doubt for the Wallabies too. But Borthwick has more than adequate replacements.

Two non-negotiables for England are to improve their shocking disciplinary record and breakdown work.

The team received eight yellow cards and one red in five Six Nations matches, a result of a regular concession of penalties. In the summer, there were two more yellows in defeat by South Africa and a mammoth four – all in one half – against Argentina. No team is going to win a World Cup doing that.

England’s disciplinary issues have cost them dear in 2026 – Sam Underhill (centre) was shown one of eight yellow cards they received in five Six Nations matches 

Tom Curry’s injury is a significant blow to England’s breakdown work

Borthwick has pointed out that the way PREM Rugby is officiated at the contact area is very different to how it is done so internationally. That cannot be a reason for England not to perform, even if Curry’s fitness setback is a blow in that area.

Yes, the avalanche of tries and poor defence we’ve seen in the PREM doesn’t mirror the international game. But the top domestic league doesn’t exist solely to prepare England to win. The players meet regularly for ‘alignment camps’ outside of Test windows to get up to speed with each other, so Borthwick and his players should be able to adapt quickly enough and if they don’t, that’s on them.

This time last year, England won all four of their autumn Tests to stretch their winning run to 11 matches in an eventual 12-game streak. Back then, confidence was high before the team capitulated in the Six Nations. There is no reason why four wins can’t be another realistic goal again, but three is an absolute minimum requirement.

Over to you England. The clock is ticking. Like Hunt on the track, it’s time for Borthwick’s team to hit the accelerator and get up to top speed.