Borthwick is honoured to skipper England at Twickenham
Last updated 05:15, Friday, 31 October 2008
CUMBRIAN Steve Borthwick is relishing the opportunity to lead England out on home soil after being appointed captain by Martin Johnson.
The Carlisle-born lock will captain England during their demanding autumn international campaign which begins with a Test against the Pacific Islands at Twickenham on November 8 before Australia, South Africa and New Zealand all come to town.
Borthwick, who is also captain of Saracens, is following in the footsteps of Lawrence Dallaglio, Jonny Wilkinson, Jason Robinson, Martin Corry and Phil Vickery who have all captained England in the last five years.
The 29-year-old line-out specialist led the disastrous two-match tour of New Zealand in June, which went down as one of the worst England trips in history with heavy defeats in Auckland and Christchurch and a police inquiry into the misconduct of several players.
But he earned praise for his dignity in difficult circumstances and has been rewarded with Johnson sticking loyally by him.
But the new England manager insists it is not a long-term appointment, which could lead to Borthwick’s leadership being reviewed after the four November Tests.
Borthwick, who first picked up a ball at Carlisle Rugby Club, said: “It is a great honour. My three games as England captain have been away from home so to lead the team out at Twickenham will be a special moment.
“But my over-riding aim is to help England get off to a winning start in the Investec Challenge series.
“I really enjoyed the week we had together in August and it showed what a good squad we have, and that will hold us in good stead as we prepare for four very challenging games - starting with the very tough Pacific Islanders.
“The squad and the coaching team is excellent and I'm really looking forward to our preparation and the games over the next four weeks.”
Eddie Jones believes his inspirational Saracens captain should captain his country through to the 2011 World Cup. The Sarries head coach said: “Steve is the stand-out candidate for England. He is very measured, studious, he has the respect of his peers and he has a real competitive edge about him.
“Fabio Capello spoke a few weeks ago about developing players with a winning mentality: Steve is one of those and he is the right man to take England towards the next World Cup.
“When you look back over the years to captains who have lifted the World Cup, you have the likes of John Smit, Martin Johnson, John Eales and François Pienaar. These guys had fantastic leadership abilities and were able to bring players together. Steve is the type of bloke who fits into that category.”
