England can only rule if Borthwick lets them off the leash

IN the city that invented the rule of fear, England will look to launch a new era by trading the stick for the carrot.

- Nick Purewal

Ancient Roman magistrates wielded clubs to beat unruly citizens as symbols of power, from which Mussolini coined the term fascism for his extreme right-wing politics.

Too often England’s rugby coaching has been locked into inducement by force, in an undertone of threat to make the ancestors of tomorrow’s Six Nations opponents proud.

England head coach Steve Borthwick is no stranger to an atmosphere of menace himself — given his old-school roots, his ability to endure all hardships and a refusal to accept anything approaching softness.

But as the England team prepare to start their Six Nations against the Azzurri, even in the Eternal City itself, times are changing.

Gone is the old gladiator Owen Farrell. In his place comes new skipper Jamie George, who is every bit as ruthless in combat as his predecessor, Saracens team-mate and great friend.

Borthwick so desperately wants to move with the times, and lead a tune to the mood music of a squad of players who expect progressive inducement rather than coercive control.

A mix of approaches and generations will play out for the first time tomorrow, when England will hope to avoid a culture clash in the city where regimes, eras and even civilisations rise and fall.