England seeks new tight-head prop players after acknowledging their scrum foundation needs strengthening following a 2-0 loss to New Zealand. Steve Borthwick has admitted the superiority of the All Blacks' scrum was crucial for their success, prompting plans over the summer to seek solutions.
Whether Dan Cole continues as England's most-capped male prop after his record appearance or not will be decided after Saturday's defeat at Eden Park. Borthwick is on a mission to find tight-head forwards capable of reinforcing the scrum, which showed signs of weakness towards the end of both Test matches against the All Blacks.
"Clearly we need more tight-head props," said Borthwick after England's narrow defeat. "We don't have as much competition on the loose head side compared to that at tight head. We have a significant development project ahead, which I'll discuss with Tom Harrison."
Bath’s Will Stuart started both Test matches in New Zealand and remains part of Borthwick’s plans, but England might consider skipping generations by bringing one or two promising props from the under-20 side. "Next step is planning," said Borthwick. "We need to make a decision on what's best."
Dan Cole, who now has 115 caps and surpassed Jason Leonard’s record, is taking some time before deciding his Test future after the recent tour. He remains confident that England will eventually win against New Zealand due to their experiences and learning from past games. "I think it'll turn for them," said Cole.
Borthwick shares this sentiment as well, despite difficulties in maintaining second-half leads. He emphasizes consistency in selection while building on the number of caps both individually and collectively within the team to ensure cohesion over the long term. "We need results now but we also have a longer-term goal," said Borthwick.
Despite Marcus Smith's impressive performance, there is room for George Ford in contention for the No 10 jersey next season if he recovers from injury and returns to full fitness. "George was exceptional during the Six Nations and I think he can add a lot of value," Borthwick commented.
Borthwick acknowledges that New Zealand will likely start their autumn series strong, but plans to prioritize form as England prepares for an upcoming game against them in November. "I want the players playing at their best as we head into the autumn series," he said.
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