Steve Borthwick told what score he needs to save his job ahead of France vs England

Former England fly-half Andy Goode has called on the Rugby Football Union (RFU) to make a decisive call and dismiss the under-fire head coach Steve Borthwick. England head to Paris on Saturday to take on France in their final match of the 2026 Six Nations. A loss would not only leave them finishing fifth - equalling their worst placement in the tournament - but would also represent the first occasion England have been beaten four times in a single Six Nations campaign.

Defeats against Scotland and Ireland, along with a surprising first-ever loss to Italy, have thrown the Red Rose into disarray, with Borthwick - who has led the team since 2022 - now under serious pressure to keep his job. With only 19 months left before the 2027 Rugby World Cup, Goode believes England would be better off accepting the situation and heading in a new direction. However, the 45-year-old thinks the RFU could be reluctant to take action if England lose by fewer than 10 points in Paris.

"Look, if we beat France, he stays in a job, right? And if the defeat is anything less than 10 you could probably see the RFU being risk-averse and keeping him there," Goode said. "But, 100 per cent, I don't think he's the right man.

"A massive change needs to come," he added. "If we lose [against France] it's our worst ever Six Nations and the questions get bigger and bigger around what's the best thing to do with Steve.

EXPRESS SPORT ON FB! Get all the best sports news and much more on our Facebook page

"I just don't think he's the right man for the job. We're at our lowest ebb... It [England's playing style under Borthwick] is so out of touch, in my opinion, from where the game's moved to. You saw the Scotland-France game a week ago, you see how South Africa play.

"Steve's a man that coaches by data, by stats and numbers. These players put on an English shirt and, with some of them, it's like they're in a strait jacket."

When asked who he thinks should succeed Borthwick, Goode quickly named former Leicester Tigers and Australia head coach Michael Cheika. "England should go after Cheika," he said. "Look at the man and his experience. He knows the Premiership. He knows a lot of these players.

"I think he would love nothing more than going to Australia next year to try and win a World Cup, perhaps with Ronan O'Gara as one of his coaches.

"People will say, 'there's only 19 months to go to the World Cup', and that is true. But let's not forget Steve got the job in December 2022, 10 months before the last one. Rassie [Erasmus] got the job with South Africa 18 months out from the 2019 World Cup, which they won. So it's happened before. it is possible."

England's performances during Borthwick's tenure have been inconsistent. In 2025 they enjoyed a stretch of 12 straight victories, beating New Zealand, Australia, Wales, Scotland and France during that run. However, the streak ended against Scotland last month, and England have since slipped into a three-match losing run. To avoid stretching that sequence to four defeats, England must claim victory in Paris for the first time since 2016.

The concerns go beyond the scoreboard. Tries have become scarce, the defensive structure has weakened, and discipline has declined - leaving England just one yellow card short of matching the Six Nations record.

Last week the RFU confirmed they were "fully committed" to Borthwick, although reports suggest the 46-year-old has only four matches left to prove his worth: Saturday's meeting with France, followed by three games in the Summer Nations Championship in July.