SIR CLIVE WOODWARD: Steve Borthwick must be more daring – here’s who I would make England captain for the Six Nations, the uncapped wonderkid who should start immediately and the solution to the midfield crisis

I was England coach when Steve Borthwick won his first cap as a 22-year-old in a 48-17 win over France in 2001. He also came off the bench in a famous win against Australia in Melbourne in 2002. Years later, I remember how happy I was to see him at the heart of Japan’s success at the 2015 World Cup, starting his coaching career with such a unique experience.

I am not the first to describe Borthwick as a man of great humility, and as a coach much has been written about his meticulous attention to detail. Those are wonderful qualities, but I would urge Borthwick in 2025 to add another attribute to his repertoire. Daring.

We are two years away from the World Cup and it is time to make a statement. Selection is the most important skill as a coach. It’s your greatest weapon, especially when you need to provoke a reaction and get out of a funk. It’s good to have consistency in the squad, but there are a few players who are selected based on what they have done in the past.

People hate to drop players, but often it can be the best thing for them.

I look at guys like Dan Cole, Tom Curry, Henry Slade and Jamie George and can’t help but think England would be a faster and more unpredictable attacking team without them.

You should never pick young players as it can be a disaster, but if they are as good as the older player then move on and give it a try. It’s amazing how well the youngster will play when he knows he’s got his chance, the impact it has on the whole group, and how well the dropped player responds too.

As a coach it is actually a lot of fun, although sometimes it is a bit naughty. Lawrence Dallaglio was great against Australia one week, but I dropped him for the next game against New Zealand. It wasn’t until I told him at the scariest meeting ever that I realized it would be his 50th cap. Oops.

But Lewis Moody came in and played out of his skin, scoring a great try in the corner, and Lawrence couldn’t come off the bench quick enough. When he got the chance, he took it to an even higher level.

Following the introduction of the Enhanced Elite Playing Squad Contracts, a bold selection approach is critical. I would send a message that EPS contract or no EPS contract, no one’s selection is assured.

The man at the top of my list to start is Henry Pollock. He’s about to turn 20 and he’s an amazing talent. He’s not the biggest guy, but what does he have that Curry doesn’t? Pace. He’s so fast. He plays for the Northampton first team in European rugby and he comes out very well.

Imagine an English back row with Pollock, Tom Willis and Ben Earl. If you were the opposing coach, you’d think, ‘Wow, these guys are really going to test us.’

There’s a lot of talk about changing the defense, but why aren’t they talking about the offense? England have the speed to upset Ireland. I always said it’s easy to be critical from the green seats – yes, I’m not in the coaching business – but I think these guys are ready for it now.

I’d like to ask Borthwick to get a little more creative. Alfie Barbeary, Bad No. 8, is someone to watch. Everyone knew he was a special talent when Barbeary broke through for Wasps a few years ago, but he is still a long way from reaching his potential. He is a unit, a fantastic player, but I don’t think he will play in the back row for England.

Why can’t Borthwick do with Barbeary what we did with Steve Thompson? When I first met Thompson it was during the English tour of America. Phil Keith-Roach said to me: ‘This man knows he’s not quick enough to play in the back row for England, but he’s ready to play hooker.’

We worked with him a lot and in the end he was our only irreplaceable player in 2003. We didn’t have a whore anywhere near as capable as him. Imagine what a good story it would be if Borthwick did the same with Barbeary.

A combination of Barbeary and Theo Dan would put England in a very strong long-term position with their hookers. George can still play a big role in this England team and is hugely respected within the England team, but he is not at the top of his game. I don’t think he should be captain. Why? Because he never plays 80 minutes.

I had a similar problem with Dylan Hartley. He came up to me once and said, ‘You keep saying I shouldn’t be captain.’ I told him it’s because he keeps coming off. I said, ‘If I were you, I would be very angry with the coach for taking you off the field if you are fit enough to play 80 minutes.’ If you’re not fit enough to play 80 minutes, you don’t belong in the team.

I don’t like seeing George go off with twenty minutes or more to go and then England lose at the bell. It’s not a good look. I’m sorry to say it has become a trend. A captain must start and finish. It’s a simple comparison.

I was lucky because I had Dallaglio and Martin Johnson, both of whom I would never dream of leaving. The only man who never plays, for club or country, is Maro Itoje.

He is the captain of Saracens and for me he should captain England. For George, the move could lead to a similar turnaround as Joe Root discovered when he was relieved of the England cricket captaincy in favor of Ben Stokes.

In my column last week I made the case for Fin Smith playing alongside Tommy Freeman at the age of twelve. I stand by that, but there is also a reason to think outside the box. Inside center is a problem position for England; I’m not convinced by Slade or Ollie Lawrence.

There are plenty of guys Borthwick could try there, but what about a rugby league? Guys around the league have been saying that Herbie Farnworth would walk into an XVs team, so let’s have a chat with him.

There are a lot of negative headlines about rugby, but there are some plays Borthwick could make to really get the crowd excited. George Hendy could get the crowd on its feet as a full-back. I sympathize with Borthwick because he will be asked a lot of questions about politics and it could be an awkward press conference.

There’s Bill Sweeney’s bonus rule, club-country deals, whether or not Immanuel Feyi-Waboso has had surgery… it’s all a big distraction.

There really should be a director of rugby next to him to answer those questions when they inevitably come up. He is completely open and for a young coach that is a big ask.

England have fantastic players on paper, but first they need to be selected and then they need to be coached well. That’s all I want to hear Borthwick talk about.