CHRIS FOY: Stats add up for Borthwick’s new-look England with more metres, passes, runs and rucks

Steve Borthwick is known for his in-depth use of data, so England’s new head coach will have been heartened by the statistical evidence of progress in his first Test, despite the dismal result.

Losing 29-23 at home against Scotland was not part of the master plan. Borthwick and his squad were deflated by a third successive Calcutta Cup defeat and by failing to launch the new era in winning fashion at Twickenham.

But there was some optimism amid the frustration, and that’s justified by signs that significant progress has already been made, following the disastrous fall campaign that led to the firing of Eddie Jones.

After the first game of the Six Nations, Borthwick laid bare the scale of the disaster he had inherited, saying: “When I looked at the team in the autumn, when I measured the team and got all the team data, we weren’t good at anything.

So how did his side match up with the one he stuttered in the November series? Based solely on the data, they appear to have undergone an attacking transformation, which is a tribute to the impact of Nick Evans, who is on loan from Harlequins. If he continues to be such a positive influence, surely Borthwick will try to retain his services well beyond this championship.

England were deflated by failing to launch the new era in winning fashion at Twickenham

The statistics that stand out are those that show England made many more runs and gained many more meters than in November.

Even when they handed Japan a half century of points, they weren’t as productive in driving the ball forward as they were against Scotland.

The hosts managed more than 100 additional carries compared to that one-sided clash with Japan. They also covered more than twice as many meters as in the loss against South Africa, the last game before Borthwick took over.

However, England did not sweep Scotland away with the X factor working from deep inside. The visiting defense was magnificent, so their rivals had to do it the hard way.

There were only two English line breaks, but they still managed to open up Gregor Townsend’s side to claim three tries, a reward for their ability to maintain possession high up the pitch.

England’s territorial supremacy, thanks to long kicks on the pitch, was emphatic. Their figure of 71 percent of the territory was well above anything they achieved in November. There were also far more passes than they managed in any of the fall Tests.

There was some optimism amid the frustration over New England head coach Steve Borthwick.

So England, despite 13 handling errors, were able to keep up the pressure through their close carry.

It was clear on the day that the likes of Ellis Genge, Ollie Chessum and Lewis Ludlam were making a significant impact with the way they continued to penetrate the heart of the Scottish defence.

That impression is confirmed by territory, metres, runs and ruck statistics. England completed 125 rucks on Saturday. His highest count in the fall was 99.

They kept pounding in the face of heroic resistance from Scotland, whose strikers notably produced some monumental defensive efforts. Matt Fagerson made 26 tackles, while fellow backline Luke Crosbie made 20 and didn’t miss a single one. But England kept coming.

One of Borthwick’s main goals was to improve his team’s breakdown recycling speed, and that was another positive. With almost two-thirds of his rucks, the ball was recycled in three seconds, which was a huge breakthrough. He generated himself and kept up the momentum.

England need an explosive presence, opening the door for Manu Tuilagi to be called up to midfield

“We tried to improve the breakdown where I think England were ninth fastest, making it one of the slowest in Tier One,” Borthwick said. “I think we saw some improvements in that regard.” That was a fair statement.

Of course, even in attack, there is still a lot to do. England spent 5 minutes 32 seconds in the opposition’s 22 and had three tries to show that ‘red zone’ pressure, averaging 2.1 points per 22 visits, compared to Scotland’s 4.1.

And the search for an explosive presence capable of breaking the line can open the door for the return of Manu Tuilagi in midfield. Even if his influence wanes, he is still second to none in this country.

Borthwick discussed rebuilding from set pieces, with a main focus on the scrum. That area was a success, with only one penalty conceded, against two of the Scots, under pressure from the English team. It was noticeable progress after the ordeal against the Springboks.

By contrast, the lineout suffered from a couple of glitches that will have frustrated the head coach, given his formidable experience in that area.

And the defense’s woes were reflected in an inning success rate that was lower than any other this fall. Kevin Sinfield won’t like that. He is likely to be better against Italy and will have to be as the Azzurri are adventurous and threatening these days.