England's implosion shows how quickly narrative can change

OPINION: England’s botched Six Nations campaign may represent the start of a downward spiral with tougher matches against France and the Springboks to come.

Two weeks ago, England’s dream of a perfect 2026 season was well and truly alive.

There was plenty of hype around Steve Borthwick’s team at that stage, and some of the hype was justified.

You don’t win 12 Tests in a row without being a well-drilled and tactically astute team.

After England thrashed Wales in Cardiff to claim their 12th successive win, they appeared ideally placed for further success.

Had they beaten Scotland, Ireland and Italy, they would have extended their streak to 15 games and taken some momentum into the toughest fixture of the campaign: a showdown with France in Paris.

And having ticked those northern-hemisphere boxes, they may have travelled to Ellis Park thereafter with the hope of beating the Springboks – who lost to Australia at the same venue last year.

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Ireland were untouchable yesterday 😍#GuinnessM6N #Since1883 pic.twitter.com/WgYIYtmnq2

— Guinness Men’s Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) February 22, 2026

Two weeks ago, a Six Nations Grand Slam, a rare win in South Africa, a record-breaking streak of 19 wins, and, in all likelihood, the World Rugby No.1 ranking were all within England’s reach.

Fast forward to the present, where England have blown two big opportunities against Scotland and Ireland, and are currently in danger of finishing the Six Nations in the bottom half of the table.

While Scotland deserve credit for their 31-20 Calcutta Cup victory, and Ireland were full value for their recent 42-21 win at Twickenham, the mindset of England’s players has come rightly come under scrutiny.

How could they underestimate Scotland, after losing so many fixtures against their rivals to the north in recent seasons?

And how could they fail to pitch up – both physically and mentally – for a home match against Ireland?

Since then, the coaches and players have spoken about their disappointment and their determination to bounce back.

The consequences of these performances, however, may be felt at a later date.

Most won’t look beyond the next assignment against Italy in Rome next week.

The Azzurri have taken their game forward in recent seasons, and will have noted England’s declining performances under the high ball and on defence.

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England have to bounce back. Surely they can’t lose three in a row and record a historic defeat to Italy in the process?

Even if they come through that clash with a result, they will head into the final round fixture against France as underdogs.

Fabien Galthié raised a few eyebrows when he selected a young squad ahead of the 2026 Six Nations, especially after France’s underwhelming showings in 2025.

While they won the Six Nations last year, they were outplayed by the All Blacks and Boks in later Tests.

Over the first three rounds, however, Galthié’s young bucks – marshalled by outstanding senior players like Antoine Dupont and Thomas Ramos – have racked up three bonus-point wins.

Unlike England, France have taken their opportunities and made the most of their favourable schedule.

With fixtures against Ireland and England at home, France were always going to be one of the pre-tournament favourites.

If they beat Scotland in Edinburgh next week, they will be heading into the final round as favourites for a Grand Slam, let alone a Six Nations title.

What would a loss in Paris mean for England?

While they won a Test series in Argentina last July, their recent 12-game streak included few meaningful wins away from home.

They appeared well placed to make a statement in the 2026 Six Nations, with away matches in Edinburgh and Paris. Having fallen at the first hurdle, few will expect them to clear the second.

Ultimately, England could finish the Six Nations campaign with a two-from-five record.

They were always going to be underdogs in the clash against the Boks in Johannesburg on July 4, whether they travelled to South Africa on the back of a 16-game winning streak or not.

But consider how much tougher that fixture will be for the coaches and players, knowing that they’ve blown several golden opportunities in the Six Nations.

It’s possible that England’s 2026 record will be two-from-six after the visit to Ellis Park.

The Boks won’t take England lightly in that fixture – given the history between the teams.

And after the Boks lost 22-38 to Australia at Ellis Park last season – producing a lacklustre performance which Rassie Erasmus later described as “dog sh*t”– the South Africans may feel that they have a point to prove.

Unless England rediscover the edge that marked them as one of the leading teams in the world in 2025, they will struggle to compete against France and the Boks in the coming months, and will continue their slide down the Test rankings.