Two years ago England missed 35 tackles and lost 42-37; a breathless replay of that collapse is not what the side can afford. When England control their own destiny rather than scrambling in their own 22, the game looks different.
The side has already collected 14 yellow cards and one red in 2026, a tally that has repeatedly left it short-handed.
After a match in which four players were sent to the sin-bin in the second half and England barely clung on to win, the pattern looked costly rather than incidental.
Borthwick has argued that the high-scoring rugby seen in the early rounds of the Premiership is not necessarily helping the national team, and he may have a point.
Borthwick is again under scrutiny, as cracks in the relationship between players and their head coach tend to surface at this time of year.
England rugby is again confronting a familiar late-year squeeze: worsening injury news, disciplinary problems and renewed questions over head coach Steve Borthwick.
Something still does not feel entirely right about England, whether in the gameplan, the coaching blend, certain selections, cultural alignment or all of those factors.
That result still extended England’s winning run to eight Tests, yet it did little to quiet concern about composure under pressure.
There is also a nagging worry that the squad’s preparations have been shorter than in previous years.