'England need players able to change tactics during games'

In his latest BBC Sport column, England World Cup winner Matt Dawson discusses what went wrong in England's record home defeat by Ireland and what areas could be improved for the final two rounds.

Remember two years ago when England were going to get beaten at home by 40 points against Ireland?

The narrative in this tournament rarely plays out as expected. Teams overperform and sides crack under pressure. That is the beauty of the Six Nations.

That predicted thumping in 2024 never happened. Instead, England stunned Grand Slam-chasing Ireland with the last play of the game to win 23-22.

Roll on two years, when expectations were much lower, and Ireland delivered that record away win.

Andy Farrell's side arrived with the mentality to deliver a historic victory, bringing the tactics and accuracy needed to win.

The 21-point difference at Allianz Stadium came down to tactics and decision-making. England made a load of mistakes, and some of that came down to trying to play the match like a game of chess.

The issue with doing that is that they could not change on the hoof how they wanted to play.

The tactical battle between coaches Andy Farrell and Steve Borthwick was won by Farrell, but England need players on the field who are able to change tactics as they go.

They have struggled with sticking to the script instructed to them by Borthwick, with any changes then being delivered at half-time.

Given the talent and winning run, I was expecting England to adapt better.

Why do teams play with a high tempo against them? Because England are good.

It looked like they thought another team could not replicate Scotland's attacking play from last week.

It was very unlike England, but that is what happens when you get stressed.

They lacked the senior Lions mentality to get out of sticky situations. Over the last two weeks, where were those decision-makers?

The defence and attack needed adjusting in the first quarter. They waited 40 minutes and had conceded 22 points.

England have good leadership, but Maro Itoje - who will only get better with more minutes under his belt - cannot do it all on his own.

He wants the leaders around him to step up in their roles, especially given he is not finishing games at the moment.

Someone like Ollie Chessum can jump in with an idea of how to fix the line-out. Freddie Steward, who can see the flow of the game from the back, could offer input on where the space to attack is.

The squad has not changed from the 12-game winning run. They are a group of very good rugby players.

Ellis Genge was honest and brave in his assessment, but I do not feel let down by England.

They are capable of winning in Rome and Paris.

The loss should not be the reason for a load of changes for the Italy game, as Borthwick's continuity in selection is what brought success.

Despite a rest week coming, a three-game block of games is very taxing and England have the depth available.

I would freshen up the half-backs and bring in Fin Smith and Jack van Poortvliet.

Alex Mitchell's injury may open that door for Van Poortvliet, but I want to give a new opportunity to key decision-makers in an away Six Nations game.

Smith is a confident player and, having been England's starting 10 in last year's Six Nations, he will want to prove his ability to adapt in-game.

Full-back George Furbank is another intelligent player who can spot space in attack, and I want to see him as he will also be chomping at the bit to prove his worth.

I would then go Tom Roebuck and Henry Arundell on the wings. A free-flowing game in Rome suits their attacking attributes.

The back row, too, I felt lacked some balance against Ireland.

Bringing Henry Pollock and all his energy off the bench is a play that I would go back to.

A new outlook and perspective from players who have been outside the pressure cooker may well bring long-term benefits.

Now the narrative is that they did not win big away games in 2025. They beat what was in front of them, and they have proved themselves to be a good side.

Like a good golfer, they are tinkering that bit too much. That has enormous ramifications.

The progress up until the Scotland game was good enough for a World Cup, but they are trying lots of different things that they do not need at the moment.

Off the back of a tough 2024, England used being the underdog to their advantage.

They won in Argentina with a young squad and beat New Zealand in November. It becomes trickier when you are known to be one of the top sides.

England were getting into that bracket as they blew Wales away, and the rest of the Six Nations knew they were going to have to come up with something superhuman to beat them.

That is exactly what has happened, and Borthwick's side must deal better with higher expectations.

The pressure is also different, as every breath for the past month has been about the Six Nations and possibly winning it. That is draining and tiring.

Finding the energy as an underdog to play above yourself is easier than finding that spark within yourself when you are expected to win.

Every single year you will get these types of results, and that will not change.

It is not out of the question that England go to Paris and beat France. What is the narrative then?

Nothing said Ireland could win against them by 20-odd points - and it happened.