Saracens Steve Borthwick has been chosen as the new captain of the England rugby union team, manager Martin Johnson announced today.
The 29-year-old, like 2003 England World Cup-winning captain Johnson a lock, led the national side during their June tour of New Zealand in the absence through injury of Phil Vickery.
Borthwick had previously captained the team when the prop was taken ill on the morning of the 2008 Six Nations match away to Italy in Rome.
Defeats in both Tests against the All Blacks were overshadowed by allegations of sexual misconduct levelled against several England players.
Borthwick was one of the few players to emerge with credit and with his England place looking increasingly assured after a previously stop-start Test career, and boasting a good fitness record, Johnson has handed him the leadership on an open-ended basis.
Borthwick’s reign as full-time captain starts with November’s tough-looking series of Tests at Twickenham where the Pacific Islands, Australia, world champions South Africa and Tri-Nations kings New Zealand provide the opposition on successive weekends.
“Firstly, I’d like to thank Phil Vickery for everything he did for the team while he was captain,” said Johnson.
“Like Phil, Steve is a good leader and always prepares thoroughly for all his matches at club and international level and I’m looking forward to working with him.
“I won’t be giving Steve a specific amount of time in the job. I just want to support him as much as possible and I know he will enjoy all the responsibility and work that comes with being captain of England.”
Borthwick said: “My three games as England captain have been away from home so to lead the team out at Twickenham will be a special moment.
He added: “I really enjoyed the week we had together in August and it showed what a good squad we have and that will hold us in good stead as we prepare for four very challenging games starting with the very tough Pacific Islanders on November 8.”
Borthwick began his senior club career at Bath, where he was captain for three seasons, before joining Saracens, where he is the co-captain alongside Andy Farrell, before the start of the current campaign.
He won the first of his 39 England caps against France in 2001 and has scored two Test tries.
Although his appearances at last year’s World Cup were restricted to Pool matches (he started against Tonga and came on as a replacement against Samoa and South Africa), Borthwick has since established himself in the second row alongside Simon Shaw.
And in the 2008 Six Nations, Borthwick was one of only two players, along with Iain Balshaw, to be on the field for every minute of England’s matches.
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