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England head coach Steve Borthwick hopes fly-half Marcus Smith could possibly be match to return to motion within the Six Nations conflict towards Eire at Twickenham.
Harlequins star Smith has sat out all three of England’s video games thus far with a calf downside suffered on a pre-tournament coaching camp.
Borthwick additionally feels Northampton scrum-half Alex Mitchell could possibly be again in motion earlier than the tip of the Six Nations, having missed the defeat to Scotland at Murrayfield with a knee situation.
“I’m very hopeful that Marcus might be obtainable for choice for this latter a part of the event,” Borthwick stated.
“We’ve got received optimistic information on Alex Mitchell’s damage, we’re hopeful he’ll characteristic within the latter a part of this event – whether or not that is the subsequent sport, we’re not certain, however we’re hopeful he might be obtainable as properly.”
Following Saturday’s 30-21 Calcutta Cup loss in Edinburgh, the England squad are set to regroup in York for coaching.
Borthwick is anticipating a response because the squad put together to move again to Twickenham within the build-up to the showdown with Grand Slam contenders Eire on March 9.
He stated: “What is going on to be attention-grabbing to me and what I need once we debrief the gamers, is that after the primary 20 minutes on Saturday – why did we go and play in a way that was not the best way we had performed the primary 20?
“What modified? What within the thought processes altered to try to do one thing completely different? I’ll solely have the ability to perceive that absolutely as soon as we have now talked to the gamers and listened to them about the way it was on the grass.”
George: ‘Optimistic indicators’ for England
Jamie George conceded England have been “not adequate” of their Calcutta Cup defeat however the captain remained adamant they have been not off course total beneath Borthwick.
“When you take a look at our run of kind over the past 9/10 video games, we have gained loads of them,” George stated. “When you take a look at the extra world image of the place we’re as a staff and the way we’re progressing as a staff, should you take a step again and take a look at it as a complete, there are loads of optimistic indicators.
“Do we have to get higher? Completely. Are we doing every thing we will to do this? Sure.”
George added: “The foundations are good however as gamers, we have to execute the sport plan higher. We knew it will be tough arising right here, with the historical past that goes into the sport, however we weren’t adequate.
“One factor that hopefully the followers noticed within the first 20 minutes of the sport is a blueprint for a way we wish to play as a staff. Now it is about our capability to do it for 80 minutes. There might be issues that we glance again on and go, ‘that is what English rugby must be about, that is what this staff must be about going ahead’.
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