'It can’t be an excuse for us': England embrace 'massive challenge'

England depart for their summer tour on Wednesday with a no-excuses policy, despite embarking on a 25,000-mile itinerary spanning three continents.

Steve Borthwick’s team face Tests against South Africa in Johannesburg, Fiji in Liverpool and Argentina in Santiago del Estero in the opening phase of the inaugural Nations Championship, the new biennial competition based around the July and November international windows.

England expect to have a clean bill of health for their opener against back-to-back world champions the Springboks on July 4 and are approaching the coming weeks as an opportunity to prove their resilience.

“We have a massive challenge,” defence coach Richard Wigglesworth said. “You can either see it as a massive hindrance or something really exciting that none of the other teams have to do – and we’re embracing it.

“We’re lucky. We travel unbelievably well and get well looked after. They’re long flights, but we’re lying down for most of it. There are people doing far worse things.

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“We’ll get on with it and rip into the exciting part of the challenge. How good will it be? It can’t be an excuse for us, it’s just part of the challenge.”

Maro Itoje has been rested for the tour so Jamie George leads England, taking on the role he performed in 2025 until he was replaced by his Saracens team-mate the following year.

Forwards Ellis Genge, Guy Pepper, Luke Cowan-Dickie and Arthur Clarke have been receiving treatment for injuries but are on course to be fit to face South Africa.

Henry Pollock has played his way into being given an influential role on tour with barnstorming performances in Northampton’s recent victories over Leicester and Exeter that secured the Gallagher Prem title.

Springboks boss Rassie Erasmus has compared the larger-than-life 21-year-old to his captain Siya Kolisi because of the interest in him.

“He’s like Siya,” Erasmus said. “People make a big deal about certain players, but I don’t always think the players themselves want that attention.

“What counts is what they do on the field and recently he been exceptional.”

Erasmus, speaking from South Africa’s camp on Tuesday, insists he does not know what to expect from Borthwick’s England.

“Tactically, Steve is someone who works with numbers and chases trends and that’s always difficult to prepare against,” Erasmus said. “If I say we know exactly what they’ll do next Saturday, I’d be lying.”