Senior England players ‘fight to protect’ Steve Borthwick and deny rift

• Team meet to discuss Times article on squad disharmony

• Jamie George says criticism will get best from England

England’s senior players have circled the wagons around Steve Borthwick and denied he oversaw a toxic environment over the summer, insisting they will “fight to protect” the under-fire head coach in Sunday’s autumn opener against Australia.

Jamie George, who captained the side for England’s three summer Tests, and the returning skipper, Maro Itoje, called a squad meeting on Friday morning to discuss an article in the Times that portrays a group of players fed up with Borthwick’s man management skills. The article said that Ellis Genge clashed with Borthwick, that senior players sought clear-the-air talks and wanted the Rugby Football Union chief executive, Bill Sweeney – who this week gave his unequivocal backing for the head coach to continue through to next year’s World Cup – present.

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