England start gives Borthwick chance to 'hit the reset button'

A style of play that wasn't the prettiest on the eye brought them to a semi-final and within a point of eventual champions South Africa back in the Autumn. 

NEW STYLE: Former England international out-half Andy Goode. Pic: David Fitzgerald, Sportsfile

While not necessarily performing to the heights - entertainment-wise - in the Rugby World Cup, Steve Borthwick's England charges will have left France feeling better than they did when they landed there. 

A style of play that wasn't the prettiest on the eye brought them to a semi-final and within a point of eventual champions South Africa. 

Between then and now, the emergence of an exciting crop of players will have gone a long way to force Borthwick - new in the job prior to the World Cup - into altering his style to one that gets the best out of his performers. 

England start their Six Nations campaign away to Italy before hosting Wales. Ex-international out-half Andy Goode is of the mind that those first two encounters give Borthwick the perfect chance to "hit the reset button".

"The fact that England are playing Italy away and then Wales at home to start the championship, with some young exciting players, it gives Steve Borthwick the chance to hit the reset button and really evolve the team," Goode told the Irish Examiner earlier this week. 

"You'd expect us to beat Italy and Wales and then we go Scotland, Ireland, France to finish. 

"It gets progressively harder throughout the tournament, but if you win your first two, you're right in the mix. That builds momentum, builds confidence."

For Goode, it's a must that Borthwick takes on that initiative over the opening rounds.

"England should take the bull by the horns and really go after it with picking these players and setting the team up to play in a way that suits them and play to their strengths."

Northampton Saints - flying this season and playing an attractive brand of rugby - house a number of the backs in question. 

Fraser Dingwall has been handed his debut at inside centre, while the devastating Tommy Freeman starts on the right-wing. 

Despite the lack of Owen Farrell's services and the unideal injury absence of Marcus Smith, there is only a place on the bench for Saints' 21-year-old fly-half Fin Smith, while another who has impressed hugely of late, George Furbank misses out on the 23 entirely. 

His 23 jersey does however go to the young Exeter Chiefs flyer Immanuel Feyi-Waboso. 

"A lot of these exciting players that are on form.... the likes of Feyi-Waboso on the wing, Fraser Dingwall, Henry Slade - who is back on form - Tommy Freeman, George Furbank. 

"There's no point in picking these guys with the strengths that they've got and not utilising it... we are going to have a strong exit strategy and a strong kicking focus. 

"But you want to see a strong a development and a layering on of attack that we just didn't see at the World Cup."

*Simon Zebo and Andy Goode teamed up with BoyleSports to preview Ireland’s 6 Nations opener against France. Ireland are 6/4 to win with BoyleSports. Don't Just bet...Choose Wisely.