England rugby captain Steve Borthwick out of England Elite Performance Squad
England rugby captain, Steve Borthwick, has been told that he will not keep his place in the England Elite Performance Squad for the coming season.
The news will come as a huge blow to the man who led England through a rough and unpredictable spell of rugby for the side, which resulted in a disappointing performance in the Six Nations event. It has now opened up a gap for someone else to have a chance they may not have been expecting.
The elite squad is a way for the England set-up to keep a close eye on the best players in the country as the domestic season continues. It can let them judge who is in form and available to play for England as well as who is injured or suspended.
Borthwick will now have to work very hard to get back into the squad but it could be a sign that his international days are behind him, as Martin Johnson rarely selects players who are ageing and have lost their place in the England squad.
Disappointing
The news will be extremely disappointing for Borthwick who served his country very well. He was not a bad captain by any means and he will see this news as a bitter blow to him personally and to his career as a player.
He has a great deal of experience, which will help him settle back into life as a club player and he has more determination than anyone else to get back into the England team. Although this now seems like a very up-hill task the point is that he can use his experience to his advantage to make sure it is a possibility.
He was never a player with a huge amount of skill and he was probably selected for England due to his qualities as a leader. Therefore, if he is going to get back into the squad he will have to do well and try to come up with something different, which will get him some attention.
Chance
Borthwick's omission from the squad means a chance for someone else to come into the side and have a crack at international rugby. This will be a chance that they may have not been expecting and this can mean a number of positives in itself.
Players who get chances they won't expect generally try their utmost to perform way above their normal levels of play. This is because they may think they will never get a chance again and they want to make the most of it while they can. This is what Johnson and England will be hoping for.
There are a few players who have emerged as favourites to fill Borthwick's position but Johnson also has to now decide how he is going to go about selecting his new captain. A few players could do the job but they will find it very difficult to command the same noise and presence that Borthwick had when he was on the field.
Advice
England will stay a good squad despite Borthwick walking out of the team. Whoever comes in will be going for it to try and keep their place so they will be a candidate to back ahead of any England matches in the early future.
You may get some good odds on Borthwick getting back his international place but focus on the role he will play at Saracens. He may well score a few points and he is bound to have a big influence at the club. If the team starts the season well, they could be a good candidate for the Premiership title.
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