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.

The diagnosis of England’s malaise should not require a torturous debrief ... Tests that they cannot even conjure inspiration against 14 men. No wonder Steve Borthwick looked haggard at the end: his team’s sheer bone-headedness in the last 11 minutes ...

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,

Steve Borthwick insists that he retains the full backing of the Rugby Football Union despite England slumping to a fifth successive loss for the first time since 2018 after South Africa triumphed 29-20 at Twickenham.

England have now lost five in a row after the defeat to South Africa on Saturday and the RFU are facing calls for Steve Borthwick to be sacked.

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