In a frustrating month for the England senior side, a 38-17 win for the A team over their Australian counterparts will have offered some positivity. It may also have provided a window into the future,

England full-back Freddie Steward has defended under-fire head coach Steve Borthwick and said it’s the players who should be blamed for the defeat to South Africa. The Red Roses lost a fifth consecutive Test match as they went down 29-20 at Allianz Stadium, prompting speculation over Borthwick’s position.

No wonder Steve Borthwick looked haggard at the end: his team’s sheer bone-headedness in the last 11 minutes, with Gerhard Steenekamp sent to the sin bin for a line-out infringement, was enough to torment his every waking hour. Their sheer lack of guile ...

England head coach Steve Borthwick must choose whether he will stick or twist this Sunday against Japan. Stick with the same core

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.