Steve Borthwick’s unwillingness to explain repeated failures is wearing thin

England head coach will continue to be criticised if we are not taken into the real analysis of his team’s losses

We have long since gone past the point where coaches of any sport, at any level, are properly candid in post-match interviews. Virtually nobody comes out and admits to making mistakes, and some will say that is a good thing, because reflection needs to be undertaken before you open your mouth.
This is all well and good, particularly as it is not going to change, but what England rugby fans must hope is that England’s recent debriefing sessions involve ownership of errors and accountability as a result – by players and coaches.
Steve Borthwick’s post-match comment that “it is important to recognise how much went right” is the sort of statement that, whilst having partial validity, is wearing thin with England supporters after seeing their team fail to get over the line in a succession of games in which they have held what should have been defendable leads going into the final minutes. These games go back as far as Handre Pollard’s last-gasp penalty for South Africa in the semi-final of the last World Cup.
If nobody from the England management is prepared to answer eminently reasonable questions such as: “Why did you substitute Marcus Smith at 62 minutes, particularly when George Ford has had limited game time recently?” Or if they offer platitudes such as: “We thought it was the right decision at the time,” then they cannot complain if the media and the supporters offer their own answers, and they get criticised as a result.
Borthwick could respond that New Zealand replaced their fly-half, Beauden Barrett, only minutes after the Smith decision, but at that point the All Blacks were eight points behind and searching for a way back into a game that had swung England’s way.
Smith’s game has improved incrementally over the past two years, to the point where his overall game management and defence are now the equal of his challengers, while he retains the elements of mercuriality that are a point of distinction. 
What Borthwick’s decision to remove him after just over an hour suggests is that he is not thought to be an 80-minute player, and this is particularly important given the pivotal position of the fly-half.
If this is so, say so, not least because the player needs to know what deficiencies need to be rectified. If it is not, how is Smith ever going to be an 80-minute Test player if he is not picked regularly for a full game and against the best opponents available?
What transpired in the final minutes of Saturday’s match requires more scrutiny than simply noting that Ford missed a tackle on Mark Tele’a, then missed both a penalty and a dropped-goal.
How England manufactured Ford’s dropped-goal attempt needs to be considered. With 90 seconds to play, England were awarded a scrum 10 metres from the New Zealand line, just to the right of the posts.
This presented a conundrum: should they take the shot straight from the scrum, which might have given the All Blacks one last chance to gather the restart?
WHAT A MATCH! 😱George Ford had the chance to win it with a drop goal but pushes it wide and the All Blacks claim the win!#AutumnNationsSeries | #ENGvNZL pic.twitter.com/rV8qYW2Jf3
Taking straight from the scrum would have meant the New Zealand back-line chasers were five metres behind the hindmost foot of their pack, with their two flankers bound to the scrum. This was the most straight-forward option and should have been possible, particularly as the ball was not actually put into the scrum until 79 min 26 sec, which would have left virtually no time for a restart.
However, the England scrum had been under pressure since both sides made front-row changes early in the second half and they had to accommodate Nick Isiekwe’s entrance in the 77th minute and Jamie George returning to cover for Theo Dan.
When England’s scrum did come under pressure, they had to play the ball and then after several breakdowns they did manufacture the dropped-goal opportunity, but from less advantageous circumstances with closer-chasing opponents.
When it came to Harry Randall’s pass, it was not the best so Ford found himself pressured by chasers and his attempt was well wide of the right-hand post. Whether this was a failure of concept, a failure of execution, or a combination of both, that chance was compromised and ultimately not taken.
Borthwick can ponder the slim margins in Test rugby and ruminate about the width of a post, but if we are not taken into the real analysis of these losses, the criticism that he receives will continue, even if he regards it as ignorant.
Top teams are often described as acquiring a winning mentality, where they psychologically retain faith in their systems and ability. 
If this is so, it is also possible to acquire a losing mentality; this is what England have to face, and do so honestly, even if they do not want to do this publicly.