A Grand Slam Should Be Seen As 'stepping Stone' - Dawson Column

Can we beryllium that squad that pushes for a Grand Slam?

That's what I'd beryllium asking myself if I were an England subordinate heading into adjacent year's Six Nations.

England should beryllium aiming for a Grand Slam earlier nan 2027 Rugby World Cup.

Having beaten Australia, Fiji, New Zealand and Argentina this autumn, that feels for illustration nan adjacent step.

I don't deliberation you person to do it to triumph a World Cup, but it does springiness you acquisition successful delivering during must-win games, and that mentality is required for nan biggest prizes.

Those distant fixtures successful nan 2026 Six Nations, particularly Scotland and France - wherever England person struggled - will really show wherever Steve Borthwick's broadside sit.

It's not nan be-all and end-all, but it would beryllium different marker nan players tin look backmost on.

Inside that squad, they'll perfectly want nan medal, nan trophy, nan photo, and that statement connected their Wikipedia page saying they're Grand Slam winners.

They mightiness not talk openly astir it, but I deliberation having that mindset matters.

This group will spot a Grand Slam arsenic a stepping chromatic to bigger occurrence and a immense root of momentum heading into 2027.

All 4 sides this autumn were very different successful really they play and England recovered a measurement to get nan occupation done.

To person that problem-solving successful your representation slope will beryllium vital.

It continues nan momentum and moreover now connected an 11-game winning run, Borthwick still has that obsession pinch detail.

The improvement of his coaching unit has been top-drawer, and he deserves each nan plaudits correct now.

It's evident this England squad has moved connected and developed complete nan past 2 years.

The style of rugby is importantly different, and it's becoming very difficult to play against.

Borthwick will relish processing nan squad, and himself, because arsenic a subordinate he was each astir detail.

He knew nan line-out wrong out, and now he is bringing that level of clarity to each facet of nan game.

What I expect him to do now is look astatine what happens to teams that get connected a roll.

Look astatine American football, soccer, cricket, aliases different rugby teams and spot really they support winning and spell connected to unafraid nan large prizes.

He is nan type who wants to sorb and learn. He can't guidelines still. He will pursuit those incremental gains nan players mightiness not moreover notice.

A threat is erstwhile teams deed their absolute pomp successful nan mediate of a World Cup cycle.

We've seen it before. But New Zealand and South Africa person some won back-to-back World Cups and been nan champion squad successful nan world complete sustained periods.

It's not a antagonistic to beryllium nan champion squad successful nan world earlier 2027.

If England tin climb nan rankings by winning a Six Nations aliases Nations Championship and get themselves to number 1 aliases two, they will beryllium successful a beardown position to scope a World Cup final. That's nan eventual goal.

People ever talk astir peaking excessively early, but I spot it differently. These are nan moments wherever you get each your learnings in, and if you spell connected a winning tally past truthful beryllium it.

England are not going to spell undefeated each nan measurement to nan World Cup, and portion of nan learning process is figuring retired really you bounce backmost from defeat.

In a weird way, I would really for illustration England to suffer a crippled astatine immoderate point, because what you don't want is their first nonaccomplishment coming successful a World Cup knockout match.

England person been successful full power this autumn and person shown they tin triumph disfigured too.

Coming disconnected that affectional precocious against New Zealand was ever going to beryllium tough, and successful 2019 they were miles disconnected backing up that celebrated semi-final win.

However, they proved against Argentina they tin do it.

If they do present a large performance, say, astatine Murrayfield, past nan situation is backing it up nan pursuing week.

When you are connected a winning tally you tin really drill into nan mini details, whereas earlier everything was astir selection, style of play, aliases injuries.

England don't request to interest astir that now, it's astir refining nan small things that make you a apical side.

Sir Clive Woodward called those nan "one percenters", nan mini specifications that make each nan difference.

Winning teams person nan fundamentals locked in, which allows coaches to walk clip connected everything else.

Loads of nan existent England squad person ne'er had nan chance to attraction connected those smaller elements.

That is why Ireland and France person put together agelong winning runs.

Now that England cognize really to triumph games, they tin create further to push astatine nan apical of nan Six Nations.