It says much about Steve Borthwick’s approach to England’s coming autumn campaign that he is due to name his training squad within minutes of the full-time whistle at Harlequins on Sunday. Simply put, there is no time to waste. Borthwick will have his squad for only a couple of days after the Prem’s derby weekend before they return to their clubs for a domestic fixture.
In years gone by there was an extra week with the players but this time, as 12 months ago, Borthwick’s preparations are truncated. When it comes to naming squads he does not spring too many surprises. But what fascinates is how he may interpret what he has seen in the Prem and the solitary round of Champions Cup matches.
Feasts at domestic level, famine on the continent. Will Borthwick look to employ the attacking abandon that has taken hold of the Prem or write it off as bubblegum sport, unsuited to the Test stage and, with only 12 matches left before England’s World Cup opener, rely on players he knows can perform on the international stage? Without getting too reductive, Sunday’s squad will give a clue.
If players such as George Hendy, Will Joseph and Fitz Harding are included, it would suggest Borthwick is embracing the chaos. A recall for Courtney Lawes, meanwhile, would hint at a more prudent approach. He may do both or neither.
But whether he sees the try-fests as something to harness, or a hindrance, will be revealing. It calls to mind Thomas Tuchel’s insistence before the summer’s World Cup that he wanted England to play like a Premier League side. Does Borthwick want his England team to play like a Prem side?
According to Rassie Erasmus he is a coach who “chases trends”. This cuts to the heart of something Borthwick has never really mastered. What is England’s identity?
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