England head coach Steve Borthwick insists his team are moving in the right direction after ending their five-match losing run with a 59-14 victory over Eddie Jones’s Japan.
Jamie George and Luke Cowan-Dickie scored two apiece in a resounding nine-try win that ensured the hosts finished a bruising Autumn Nations Series on a positive note.
Ben Earl, Sam Underhill, Ollie Sleightholme, George Furbank and Tom Roebuck also touched down as England eased some of the pressure on Borthwick at Allianz Stadium.
“This coaching team and I feel very positive going forward,” he said. “We made some changes and I feel we have done well in a short space of time. We are disappointed with some of the results but we are moving in the right direction.
“It is a privilege to coach the England team. Year two has been building a new team, with a new profile of player and way of playing. We always want more and we will push on in the new year.
“The overriding emotion is frustration after the autumn but we have to reflect on some of the attacking play as some of the tries today were outstanding.”
England’s win over Japan came after they failed to hold onto leads in games against South Africa, Australia and New Zealand in preceding weeks.
It was their first victory since June, when they also beat Jones’s side in Tokyo.
“We speak about getting our house in order and I thought we did that today,” said England captain George.
“When we reflect, the Australia game is the one we were most disappointed with. But at the same time there is a lot to be positive about.”