Ireland legend accuses England players of being ‘unfit’ after Six Nations loss
Ireland legend Tommy Bowe has accused England’s players of being “unfit” after their 27-22 Six Nations defeat in Dublin.
Steve Borthwick’s side led 10-5 at half-time before conceding 22 unanswered points in the second 40, only getting on the scoresheet again once the hosts had taken an unassailable lead.
England have lost seven of their past nine Tests, with the only two victories coming over Japan in June and November last year.
“I would say England are unfit,” former Ireland winger Bowe said on BBC 5Live’s Rugby Union Weekly podcast.
“You can’t say it any other way. Even in the first half they came out of the gates so fast, their line speed was amazing, all of a sudden 10 minutes before half-time players started to go down.
“It seemed like they were deliberately trying to slow down play. And then in the second half, they just had no puff. They had no energy. They were walking to line-outs.”
Bowe said the lack of fitness means substitutes are not having the necessary impact: “Two minutes away from the end of the game they’re trying to chase it, they’re kicking the ball into touch, it was like they don’t have the clear thinking.
“That’s quite concerning I think, because whenever these guys came off the bench they were meant to add tempo, but realistically the rest of the players around them didn’t have the energy to try and build on that.”
But former England winger Will Greenwood had a different theory for England’s failings – that actually this squad are too focussed on physicality and fitness.
He wrote in the Telegraph: “Ireland proved that rugby players will always triumph over athletes. In England, we build athletes. The others build rugby players who turn into athletes. This match in Dublin was a microcosm of the current state of English rugby.
“There is great spirit in this team, full of bench-pressers, and we have some phenomenal athletes. But the likes of Caelan Doris, Josh van der Flier and Tadhg Beirne are proper rugby players, who know what to do and when, with feel and instinct. They’re strong, athletic guys, too. They are World XV contenders.
“There are few in England’s starting team who could be directly criticised but barely any are in the World XV conversation. We create athletes not rugby players and the chickens are coming home to roost.”

Greenwood also said he would start Saracens No 8 Tom Willis over Ben Earl, comparing Willis to potential British and Irish Lions captain Caelan Doris, adding England would pay “a football transfer fee” for Irish substitute hooker Dan Sheehan.
And ex-England captain Lawrence Dallaglio made a similar point about the difference in quality between the two sides.
“The Six Nations has almost turned into a three-tier tournament,” he wrote in the Sunday Times. “France and Ireland are a long way clear at the top. Then it’s Scotland and England – in that order – with Wales and Italy down below.
“Look across the Ireland team: Doris, Jamison Gibson-Park, Sheehan from the bench. They have world-class options, and at the moment, England don’t.”
But both Dallaglio and his former coach Sir Clive Woodward saw reasons for positivity in England’s performance.
“England did show some signs of improvement,” Dallaglio said. “Their defence has moved on significantly from the autumn. I thought that both in terms of one-up tackling and the cohesiveness of the whole system, they look far more competent.
“That was a real positive. Borthwick is working hard to ensure that the squad is settled – something his predecessor Eddie Jones was incapable of – and that continuity is important for defence.”
Woodward was even more positive, writing in the Mail on Sunday: “I thought the display from Borthwick’s team against Ireland was a step in the right direction, especially when compared to the autumn.
“There is merit to that argument, but for me the positivity remains. I particularly liked some minor shifts that pointed to a far greater attacking mentality. A good example of that was England’s short restarts.
“Marcus Smith’s kick-off was instantly regained by Freddie Steward. This might seem a small thing, but it is part of something far bigger.
“Most teams kick long from kick-offs or restarts, but going short shows you are trying to be brave. It shows a positive mindset. That’s what I’ve been crying out for from England for a long time now, hence my glass-half-full view.”