Steve Borthwick believes England have the potential to be just as dazzling as their new all-white home kit.
Lock talks to skysports.com about captaincy, Johnno and injuries
Steve Borthwick believes England have the potential to be just as dazzling as their new all-white home kit under the leadership of Martin Johnson.
After a turbulent first autumn in charge of his country, there were signs of the green shoots of recovery in the spring, with a second-placed finish in the RBS Six Nations. A split two-Test series with Argentina offered further reasons for optimism.
For Borthwick the signs are certainly positive ahead of a busy international season which starts in November with games against Australia, the Pumas again and then New Zealand.
Speaking at the launch of a home shirt made from Dri Fit fabric and containing a chest panel to help grip the ball, the second-rower - now firmly established in his role as captain - said he feels that team manager Johnson's hard work is beginning to bear fruit.
Excited
"I'm excited about the season ahead," he told
skysports.com.
"I think that the Argentina tour, where we had six new caps in two games, where we won at Old Trafford and then had a very narrow loss out in Argentina, showed that this England team is really developing.
"All the players are working very hard to be in the best shape possible and are playing as well as they can to be selected in that England team.
"We've got a team manager in Martin Johnson who knows exactly what it takes to get to the top of international rugby. He and his management team, who are doing a great job, are leading this team very, very well.
"Martin came in at the start of that season, with Brian Smith as his attack coach, and by the end of the season, having worked through what we want, what the coaching team wants, what the tactics were and our strengths and weaknesses, we'd developed into a really formidable team.
"There were huge signs of progression. By the end of the RBS Six Nations you saw some excellent play, which comes about from working with the management team for an extended period of time.
"There are three huge Test matches against Australia, Argentina and New Zealand (in the autumn). Everyone is eager for it (to start), though there some games to be played before then.
"What we need to do is continue that work going forward."
The influence of Johnson - who had no previous coaching experience before taking the job - certainly seems to be growing.
Borthwick is full of praise for the work done by his boss, who named his fellow lock as skipper last year and has stuck by that decision despite coming under fire for his choice of on-field leader.
"He's been a huge help," Borthwick said about the World Cup winner. "His understanding of the game, and not just second-row play, is immense.
"I think that he has a great all-round perspective on the game, of the way the team is going and also of the way the opposition are going. He's brilliant at recognising those things.
"The more time this team spends working with Martin Johnson...well it will be a huge positive for English rugby."
So what about the captaincy role - did the talk of him not being the right man for the job bother him? Borthwick, as ever, remained calm and calculated in his response, adding: "I've learned from every rugby experience.
"When the team does well the captain gets praised, and when the team does poorly the captain gets criticised - that's what happens and you accept that when you take on the job.
"The reality is somewhere in the middle of that. My job was to continue doing the work as well as I could and help the team perform as well as they can, and that's what I will continue to do."
England's plans for the autumn internationals have suffered an early double blow with the loss of backs Riki Flutey and Delon Armitage to injury.
While admitting the absence of the duo, who both shone in last year's Six Nations, is a disappointment, Borthwick recognises that a setback for one player opens up the door to another - and there are plenty of candidates waiting in the wings.
Real depth
The Saracens forward feels that there is real depth in the domestic game - a point backed up by what he has seen in the opening weeks of the Guinness Premiership season.
"The opening two weeks of the Guinness Premiership season you've just seen how eager everyone is to do well - it's phenomenally tight. It bodes well for the England team," he commented.
"Rikki and Delon are phenomenal players who did really, really well last season. They would be very important to England rugby and I wish them well in their recoveries.
"But injuries create opportunities for other players. When Martin announces his squad I'm sure he will pick players who are playing well and who are eager to do well for England."
Barring injury Borthwick seems certain to be the name at the top of Johnno's squad list. He will hope this autumn proves a little easier than the last, with England aiming to be just as dazzling as their new all-white new outifts.
