Borthwick backs George in co-captaincy role with Ford
However, with Itoje away on Lions duty where he will captain the touring side in Australia, Borthwick has gone back to the tried-and-tested with George set to lead the team for the game against a French XV on Saturday, working as a co-captain with Ford.
Borthwick explained that the two dovetail nicely in their leadership styles and having both in the joint position was 'the right way to go'.
'He's (George) really clear from a tactical point of view. He's got a brilliant voice. He has a fantastic feel and manner with people,' said Borthwick.
'Both of them are phenomenal players and both are brilliant, experienced leaders, both at club and international level.
'Whether they've been captains or vice-captains or not, they are leaders and they are role models for the rest of the players.
'I decided that was the right way to go, to have two great figureheads for this team.
'This week training, they complement each other superbly well, as you'll know from their different styles and different positions they play.
'That then gives us a figurehead in the forwards, a figurehead in the backs, leading the team.
'I've been really pleased with how it's gone.'
Ford and George come into the tour as two of the most experienced members of the squad, with a combined 200 England caps between them, having both missed out on selection for the Lions in May.
George, whilst not making the 38-man squad, has clearly remained in Farrell Snr's thinking and was called up to train with the Lions out in Portugal last week due to the absence of Dan Sheehan and Ronan Kelleher, both of whom were on Leinster duty in the URC Final.
Now back with England, the hooker reflected with pride on his third different Lions camp, despite the initial disappointment of missing out.
'I loved it,' he said.
'Me and George [Ford] are in the same boat. I was very disappointed not to be on the Tour in the first place, but to be given any opportunity to go in and show what you're about a little bit… It was a great opportunity for me to go out there. They're setting themselves up very nicely for a successful tour.'
And with England set to fly out to Argentina, the opponents of the Lions on Friday evening in Dublin, George revealed he was keenly observing everything that was going on, partly to help when he was back with his national side.
He added: 'There's a little bit more in it because they're playing Argentina tomorrow night and that's where our tour is going to be. As we were analysing in the Lions meetings, I was making sure I was making extra notes just to bring back about what I've seen. I think it's important.'
There is scope for the England squad to change should the Lions come calling, with Jack van Poortvliet currently away as scrum-half cover for the side with Jamison Gibson-Park not fully fit.
Borthwick remained tight-lipped about any potential return to the international fold for Owen Farrell, however, after he re-signed for Saracens this week following one season at Racing 92 in France, making him eligible for international duty once more.
'I think Owen has been very clear,' said Borthwick.
'He's happy to be home and he hasn't made any discussion around his future other than just wanting to get his family settled back in Hertfordshire.
'My focus is on these guys here.'
On the timescale regarding Van Poortvliet's return, Borthwick said he is due to be back next week but admitted that date could be subject to change and that the Leicester scrum-half would be fully supported if that were to be the case.
'Jack might well be at the game on Saturday afternoon, but if that changes from a Lions perspective, then we fully support Jack,' he added.
'We've also spoken very publicly that we want as many England players in that Lions squad as possible.
'There might be situations were other England players join the squad in which case we'll be delighted for our players to do that.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
19 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Your Guardian Sport weekend: England v India, Club World Cup, tennis and NBA
Day two of the first Test gets under way with Rob Smyth and James Wallace your over-by-over-hosts. India are seeking a first series win in England since 2007, having been held to a 2-2 draw last time out, a garland their new red-ball skipper, Shubman Gill, ranks higher than going all the way in the Indian Premier League. 'You don't get many opportunities as a captain to be able to come to England and you get to have a crack at the IPL every year,' says one of the IPL's poster boys and title winner with Gujarat Giants in 2022. 'In my opinion winning a Test series in England, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa is bigger.' Ali Martin, Andy Bull and Simon Burnton are our reporting team at Headingley. 'It's the biggest five days in our sport – our shop window,' says leading jockey William Buick of the glittering five days of Royal Ascot. The Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (3.40pm) is the highlight of the sun-baked meeting's final day. Kevin Ryan's Inisherin was a brilliant winner of the Commonwealth Cup over the course and distance 12 months ago while French raider Lazzat won his first six starts for Jerome Reynier and having bolted up back over six furlongs at Chantilly has been snapped up by the powerful Wathnan Racing operation. One to watch is Aidan O'Brien's Australian recruit Storm Boy. Tony Paley keeps the updates flowing with Greg Wood our reporter in top hat and tails at the Berkshire course. Under a broiling sun in west London, conditions have been particularly gruelling as some of the world's leading players gear up for Wimbledon. Top seed and 2023 winner Carlos Alcaraz endured three hours and 23 energy-sapping minutes in beating compatriot Jaume Munar on Thursday. The match may have been two hours shorter than his five-set French Open final win over Jannik Sinner earlier this month but the five-time grand slam champion suffered as temperatures soared to 32C. After a 15th straight win, the longest winning run of his career so far, a near-exhausted Alcaraz admitted: 'It was a really tough battle.' Tumaini Carayol has all the action covered. An unfamiliar England face France for Saturday's non-cap international. There are five uncapped names in Steve Borthwick's makeshift squad, with three set to start as call-ups to Andy Farrell's British & Irish Lions have have given the head coach the chance to experiment. The late addition of Jack van Poortvliet to the Lions party means there will be 14 players unavailable when England run out for the final time before the summer tour to Argentina and the United States. Michael Aylwin reports from Twickenham. The European Under-21 Championship 2023 winners face a rematch with Spain, who they defeated to lift the trophy two years ago. But Lee Carsley's side approach the quarter-final in patchy form having followed up last Sunday's goalless draw with Slovenia with a disappointing 2-1 loss against Germany to round off the group stage. Slovenia's defeat to the Czech Republic in the other match in the group was enough to secure Carsley's side passage to the last-eight tie in Trnava, Slovakia. Will Unwin keeps the updates flowing while Ed Aarons reports. Our columnist considers the cult of personality at the revamped Club World Cup – how the individual walk-outs at the start of matches offer further proof, if any were needed, that Fifa is failing to understand that football remains a team sport – just ask Paris Saint-Germain, who unlocked European success by ditching their superstars. Rob Smyth and Taha Hashim take up the over-by-over baton on day three at Headingley. Win against India in the coming weeks, then reclaim the Ashes in Australia and Ben Stokes would go down as one of his country's greatest skippers, but he is not ready to think in those terms. 'There's always a different buzz coming up against India and Australia in particular, purely because of how big those series are,' he says. 'Away from the dressing room, we know what these series mean compared to other ones. But defining a career as England captain isn't something that I really think about. If that's what I'm really bothered about, it's just completely and utterly selfish and that ain't me.' Tanya Aldred helms our rolling blog and will no doubt be keeping a weather eye on Jofra Archer's exploits for Sussex against Durham. England's paceman has been beset by a litany of injury problems and played the last of his 13 Tests in February 2021. It is hoped he will make his first-class return, part of a plan that could lead to him being restored to Ben Stokes' squad at some point during a five-match series against India. There has been an understandable sense of caution about Archer's latest rehabilitation, which was further delayed by a broken thumb, but the bowler himself has made his own intentions clear – at one stage floating a hurried return in last month's one-off game against Zimbabwe. The Indiana Pacers stormed to a 108-91 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday to level the NBA finals at three games apiece and set up a decisive Game 7 in Oklahoma City in the early hours on Monday. David Lengel will be across all of the action with his live blog on the biggest night in the basketball season. In the small hours, our live coverage of the tournament continues at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta as the holders face Al Ain. City's new signing Tijjani Reijnders will be hoping to build on his impressive debut in the comfortable 2-0 win over Wydad Casablanca in Philadelphia on Wednesday. The Dutchman joined City from Milan last week in a deal worth an initial £46.5m as part of Pep Guardiola's rebuild in response to their disappointing 2024-25 season. Alexander Abnos hosts our minute-by-minute coverage.
Daily Mail
33 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Owen Farrell could play on the Lions Tour as well as return to England action, believes Danny Care - as his former team-mate gives his Australia series prediction and reveals his starting half-back pairing for first Test
Danny Care is adamant that the door is not shut on Owen Farrell playing international rugby again as soon as this summer, citing that he could claw his way into British and Irish Lions contention. The Lions are preparing for their summer tour of Australia with a warm-up match against Argentina on Friday night at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, before flying Down Under at the weekend. Farrell's father, Andy, is the head coach for the class of 2025 and has hinted before that his son could be added to his 38-man travelling party in the future. Farrell Jr has been back in the spotlight this week after his return to Saracens was officially announced following an injury-plagued campaign at Racing 92 in France. The 33-year-old made just 17 appearances for the Top 14 outfit due to suffering several fitness setbacks in Paris. His return to Saracens makes him eligible again for England selection, but his former team-mate at that level Care believes we may see him in action for the Lions before England first, fitness-permitting. 'I've said it for a while but if a 10 or 12 gets injured and Owen's fit then I think it would be very hard to look past him with the amount experience he's got,' Care told Mail Sport exclusively after learning what it is like to train with Emirates Great Britain SailGP athletes ahead of the Portsmouth event weekend next month. 'It's quite a young and youthful Lions squad, especially in that backline. There's not many lads, barring Finn Russell and a couple of others, who have played for the Lions before and experienced it. 'I know Owen is the ultimate competitor and its brilliant to have him back in the Premiership, I just have a funny feeling that we might see him in a red shirt at some point this summer.' After leading England to third place at the 2023 Rugby World Cup, Farrell decided to take a step back from international duty for mental health reasons before joining Racing 92 last summer. In his absence, Fin Smith has become the pre-eminent No 1 fly-half for country - with Marcus Smith and George Ford also vying for the shirt. That three-way tussle could become a four-way battle though, according to Care. 'I saw an interview with him [Farrell] the other day saying that he hasn't retired. 'Knowing Owen as I do he's the most competitive person I've ever met, an unbelievable rugby player who drives standards better than I have ever seen. 'If England need a bit of leadership and help then why not? If he comes back, is fit and his body feels good then it'd be hard to put up a case against him. It's great to have him back for England, the Premiership and it could be great for him.' While the Farrell situation remains a hypothetical one at the moment, the Lions tour is very much upon everyone - with Care excited about what's to come over the next six weeks. The Lions are the favourites to win the best-of-three series in Australia and while Care agrees, the 38-year-old doesn't think the men in red will have it all their own way. 'It's huge and so exciting to get a first glimpse of the team on Friday night against Argentina. It's going to be tough but I think everyone's really excited to see the combinations to see how the team's going to play, how they're going to set themselves up. 'I see us going down there [Australia] and doing well. I think it'd be 2-1 to the Lions. 'I think the best thing for the series would be if it's 1-1 going into a decider and I can see that happening because I think people are underestimating the Aussies a little bit.' Andy Farrell has a plethora of talent to pick from all over the pitch, but when asked who would he select as his half-back pairing for the first Test against the Wallabies in Brisbane on July 19, Care was concise in his decision-making. 'Finn Russell played really, really well for Bath in the Premiership final which maybe cemented the 10 shirt. 'I'll go with him and Jamieson Gibson-Park at scrum-half. Then I'll have Marcus Smith on the bench just to carve it up at either 10 or 15.' After a decorated club and international career, Care hung up his rugby boots for good at the end of last month with his beloved Harlequins. The 38-year-old still has the competitive juices flowing inside him though as demonstrated when he participated in a crossover event with members of the Emirates Great Britain SailGP team in London. Emirates Great Britain SailGP team's Nick Hutton (trimmer/grinder), Neil Hunter (grinder) and Ellie Aldridge (strategist) took on Care and former England women's rugby star Shaunagh Brown, as well as some members of the media - including Mail Sport - in pitting their explosive power and dynamism of rugby the against the precision and endurance of elite sailing. Overseeing the action was Professor Greg Whyte OBE - an Olympian, world renowned sport scientist, and human performance coach to the SailGP Emirates Great Britain team. The participants were put through their paces with various exercises that tested their upper body and lower body limits as well as their plyometrics. 'Today has been wicked, it's been really cool to test yourselves against some incredible athletes, and some members of the media that turned out to be incredible athletes as well, like yourself,' Care reflected to Mail Sport. 'I'd say it's been humbling for me as I retired three or four weeks ago and I've not done an awful lot since, but it was really cool to test yourselves against obviously the SailGP lot. There are so many parallels in the movements that they do and we do in rugby union - they're just a bit better at them all than I was! It was cool to try it though.' Asked about what was the hardest exercise to do, the former scrum-half was in no uncertain terms as to what that was. 'The arm-rower, the grinder, I have never seen before in my life and I never knew that machine existed. 'And watching those lads on it in particular, it was incredible that they managed to keep that power going full the full 30 seconds. Like, I got it into a good pace, and I was like, I must be nearly done. And he said I'd only done five seconds! 'That was tough but just to see their power output and how they could hold it was really impressive and maybe showed me that I need to work on the grinder.' While the grinder can wait for Care, he can sit back and enjoy the Lions in action this summer. With Owen Farrell as a playing member? Only time will tell. The Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix | Portsmouth will be the seventh stop for the Rolex SailGP Championship's 2025 Season, taking place July 19-20, 2025 - with tickets still available at
Daily Mail
33 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Adrien Rabiot and his MOTHER demand £13,000 in damages from PSG one day after Marseille star won £1.1m legal fight with European champions
Adrien Rabiot is suing his former club Paris Saint-Germain just a day after the France international received €1.3million (£1.1m) in compensation from the European champions. On Thursday, the Paris Court of Appeal ruled that Rabiot's series of fixed-term contracts at PSG must be considered as permanent. He was therefore awarded financial compensation for unpaid wages, unused holidays and breach of contract terms. But it seems that the 30-year-old's grievances against a club, with whom he won five French league titles, does not end there. Rabiot, along with his mother and long-time advisor Veronique, are suing PSG for their alleged failure to manage abusive banners and insults from supporters during March's match against Marseille. The match in question was Rabiot's first at Parc des Princes since leaving for Juventus in 2019 and numerous derogatory chants and banners targeting the France international were witnessed at the stadium. The Ligue de Football Professionnel fined PSG €20,000 (£17,000) and imposed a one-match partial stand closure in early April but the Rabiots argue that these sanctions were insufficient. They accuse PSG of failing in its duty to police the stands, which resulted in personal harm. A first hearing is set for November 4, although it may be postponed depending on how PSG respond. Although they are seeking financial compensation, Le Parisien reports that the pair's primary motivation is for a court to acknowledge what they regard as a failure in PSG's duty of care towards them. After March's match against PSG, which Marseille lost 3-1, Rabiot took to social media to highlight the abuse he had received and pointed the finger at PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi. 'Insulting a mother, and a deceased father... Everything comes at a price one day,' Rabiot, who played for PSG for nine years, posted on Instagram.
