Borthwick Will Keep Going
Former England captain, Steve Borthwick, says he will keep going as he is about to start a bid to get his England place back.
Borthwick was dropped from the England performance squad when the side got back from their tour of the Southern Hemisphere. This squad is an easy way of keeping track of many international players over the course of a busy domestic season.
Borthwick says it was hard to take at the time but he has now had the chance to sit back and reflect and he can address the areas of his game, which have gone wrong in recent times.
He has a lot going for him as he tries to get back into the England set-up. There are a lot of positives to Borthwick trying but deep in the back of his mind will be the fact that England manager Martin Johnson may just be trying to move the current squad on.
Well Prepared
Borthwick will be very well prepared to try and get his England place back and he will have an edge over many more opponents. He has been there and done it already and he has also led the current side through some hard matches.
This gives him an experience that he can use to his advantage. He will know how the current coaching set-up works and he will know all of the things they like when they are trying to find a player. Therefore, he is one step ahead because he's already checking off the boxes.
He knows what it feels like to play international rugby for England. He would have enjoyed this feeling and it's likely to have created a deep determination in him, which he can use to his advantage. All he has to do is keep reminding himself what it felt like to captain England on some of the biggest stages in rugby.
Moving On
There is a good chance that Johnson is trying to move the squad on with Borthwick's absence. The side played very well towards the back end of their Southern Hemisphere tour and this side will be the one, which gets an extended run.
There were problems with the team for all to see but the point is that Johnson probably already has a few young players in mind who can come into the team. They will be running around with a youthful energy, which Johnson will hope has the power to eradicate these gaps in the team.
Johnson has always said as a coach that he will never close the door on any player and Borthwick is no different from anyone else. If he works hard and plays well at his club side then sooner or later he will get back into the team and be given the second chance he deserves and craves.
For now though Borthwick has to go back to Saracens where he has been absent for long spells. They will need his leadership skills after a disappointing loss to Leicester in the Championship match last season.
Advice
There is a very good chance that Borthwick will wear an England shirt again but he is unlikely to be skipper again. If you can get some odds on him having an international recall at some point in the near future then go for it because it's a strong possibility.
He'll be trying to play above himself in Saracens matches. This means he may even try to attack when this is not his main quality. Lay down a few insurance bets when Saracens play next year, which will cover this eventuality. He doesn't score very often so the odds will be long.
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