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Steve Borthwick believes several of his England players have enhanced their chances of touring with the British & Irish Lions this summer following their record 68-14 demolition of Wales in Cardiff. Borthwick says his team are developing fast and also backed his skipper, Maro Itoje, as a potential Lions captain.
Andy Farrell will not unveil his Lions squad until early May but Borthwick hopes England’s 10-try display has given the former some “good headaches” as he seeks the best mix of talent to face the Wallabies in a three-Test series in July and August.
Borthwick was understandably delighted with the performance against Wales and the progression of his squad during the championship. “The team has stuck with the process and I’m really pleased for the players and supporters that they’re seeing the fruits of their labours on the pitch. The next thing for these players is that hopefully lots of them will get picked for the Lions.
“I think the players have probably created some good headaches for Andy. They’re the kind of headaches you want to have as a coach. Lots of players putting their hands up and showing they should be on that plane with the Lions. A lot of our role is to get as many of these players on that plane as possible. Hopefully there will be a lot of England players heading down under in a few months’ time.”
Borthwick also clearly believes Itoje would make an excellent Lions skipper. “I think Maro’s been absolutely outstanding. He leads by example and he’s stepped up his game. He’s improved in many areas in this campaign. I’d be fully confident in Maro to lead the Lions should Andy ask him.”
Itoje preferred to salute his teammates following England’s lop-sided victory. “We have been building towards this and we are showing a different side to us. You have to be consistent even when results do not go your way, no matter the outside noise and scrutiny. The challenge for our team is to grow and get better.”
Among England’s other stand‑out players in this tournament has been Ben Curry, who was named player of the match in Cardiff. “This is what you dream of,” said Curry, who started alongside his twin brother, Tom. “I have not had too many opportunities over the last couple of years and I love being a part of this team.”
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Wales’s interim head coach, Matt Sherratt, suggested his side had been running on empty at the end of another tough season. “It was one of those days when it looked like a game too many,” said Sherratt. “The last seven to eight weeks have been pretty emotional and the playing group has been through a fair bit. Little things went against us and that probably opened up some wounds.
“They’re a good group of lads and there are some really good players in the room as well. As you know there are going to be some fresh appointments over the next couple of weeks. I think it’s just about resetting and trying to move forward as quickly as possible. Because today’s disappointing. It’s devastating for the players.”
