England suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of Italy on Saturday evening, losing 23-18 at the Stadio Olimpico in a result that will lead to more calls for head coach Steve Borthwick to be sacked.
The visitors had appeared in control, holding an 18-10 advantage heading into the final quarter. However, a catastrophic collapse saw the Azzurri score 13 unanswered points, with Leonardo Marin crossing in the 71st minute to seal a famous victory.
It marked the first time Italy had beaten England in 33 meetings between the two nations.
The loss represents Borthwick's third successive defeat in this year's Six Nations, leaving England languishing in fifth place with only winless Wales below them in the table.
Steve Borthwick has insisted he is not fighting for his job
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Former England wing Ugo Monye, working as a pundit for ITV, declared that questions surrounding Borthwick's position "have to start now" following the debacle in Rome.
Yet the embattled head coach remained defiant when asked whether he should continue leading the national side.
"Absolutely," Borthwick responded.
He pointed to regular dialogue with senior figures at Twickenham, stating: "The RFU, myself, Conor O'Shea and Bill Sweeney, we speak regularly and discuss the vision of the team going forward."
Borthwick drew parallels with previous World Cup cycles, noting: "The Six Nations before a World Cup we have seen it before with England teams. Go back to 2018 and the team was in a very good place the following year at the World Cup."
Italy claimed their first ever win over England, leaving their Six Nations campaign in tatters
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Discipline has plagued England throughout the tournament, with Borthwick acknowledging the scale of the problem.
"We had seven yellow cards and a red card in four games," he said. "The opportunity that gives against a quality opposition."
The crucial period in Rome came between the 60th and 65th minutes, when flanker Sam Underhill and captain Maro Itoje were both shown yellow cards during Italy's match-winning surge.
"I think what's disappointing in so many ways is around the impact, the discipline factor that the cards have had so far for us in this tournament," Borthwick admitted.
"It's not good enough. We've all been very clear and very transparent around it."
England also squandered ten visits to the Italian 22 without converting their territorial dominance into sufficient points.
Despite the dire situation, Borthwick expressed gratitude towards England's travelling supporters whilst acknowledging their frustration.
Steve Borthwick has insisted he has the full backing of the RFU
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"Firstly, I'd thank the supporters, as I always do, for what they give to the team. The second is that I'd recognise that they're hurting like we're hurting," he said. "We feel it. We really, really do."
The head coach maintained that significant progress had been made over the preceding twelve months, pointing to improved try-scoring and attacking intent during that period.
"The team's growth in the last 12 months has been very, very strong, and you can see the vision of where the team is going to be and you see the players coming through," Borthwick added.
England now face title-chasing France in Paris next Saturday, where defeat would confirm their worst Six Nations campaign on record.