But it would be handy for Borthwick to shed more light on what’s going on, after four wins in 11 matches across the calendar year. Erasmus, the lion king in the Test jungle righ

England head coach Steve Borthwick has claimed that his players were not fit enough coming into the Autumn Nation Series despite the Rugby Football Union spending £264 million to give him greater control of their conditioning.

Freddie Steward insists the players and not Steve Borthwick are at fault for the autumn washout that has piled pressure on England’s head coach. Steward believes Borthwick has been “let down” by his team after South Africa clinched a 29-20 victory on Saturday,

England coach Steve Borthwick said that the yet another painful defeat, this time 29-20 to South Africa on Saturday to continue their miserable Autumn series, will help his team in the long run as they continue their development.

The Rugby Football Union insist the former England captain retains its “100 per cent support” ahead of the side’s first match against South Africa since the Springboks’ dramatic 16-15 World Cup semi-final win in 2023.

Steve Borthwick is safe for now – but history shows a cautionary tale for underperforming England - Small signs of progress have been shown by England this November but Borthwick is under pressure aft

The diagnosis of England’s malaise should not require a torturous debrief. They are, to be blunt, mentally weak, so terrified of their own shadows in the closing stages of the toughest Tests that they cannot even conjure inspiration against 14 men.