England captain Owen Farrell says it hurt to get booed off at Twickenham after a dispiriting defeat to South Africa in November and the team will need the crowd's support when they play Scotland in the Six Nations on Saturday at 6.45pm.
The defeat to the Springboks at Twickenham ended a poor November series and was seemingly the final straw for the Rugby Football Union (RFU), who sacked coach Eddie Jones and replaced him with Steve Borthwick.
When asked if the boos hurt, Farrell tells BBC Sport: “Definitely. We were disappointed with ourselves. It didn't sit well.
Steve Borthwick has named the England Men side to face Scotland on Saturday in round one of the Guinness Six Nations 🌹
— England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) February 2, 2023
“You think there's nobody more disappointed than us at the time. To not have given the best account of ourselves was disappointing.”
Borthwick's England will kick off their new era against the Scots at home, with the 31-year-old Farrell continuing as captain.
He adds: “Hopefully this crowd on Saturday sees a team that’s willing to fight for each other…”
WEEKEND’S SIX NATIONS FIXTURES
Saturday: Wales v Ireland (4.15pm), England v Scotland (6.45pm)
Sunday: Italy v France (5pm).