The 20-year-old rejection that Steve Borthwick hasn't forgotten
A rejection from 20 years ago weighed on the mind of Steve Borthwick when he held individual talks on Sunday morning with the 10 players he cut loose from the England Rugby World Cup squad.
The head coach generated headlines for his surprise axing of Henry Slade and his sudden loss of faith in Alex Dombrandt, one of the four players along with Freddie Steward, Ellis Genge and Lewis Ludlam to start all six games since taking over last December from Eddie Jones.
Rather than back Slade, who started four Six Nations games, Borthwick has now placed his trust in Joe Marchant, who started just once in the spring before getting the No13 jersey last Saturday versus Wales in Cardiff. Vunipola didn’t even feature all in the championship, Dombrandt being first-choice every time.
It must be a head wrecker for these players to suddenly not be involved in the Test squad and Borthwick had 2003 on his mind regarding the way he delivered the bad news to Slade, Dombrandt and the other eight unwanted players.
First capped in 2001, Borthwick had high hopes of featuring at Australia 2023 having toured with England that year, but a call while training with Bath instead shattered that ambition and left him looking on from afar as Clive Woodward’s squad tasted World Cup glory.
“All those conversations are particularly challenging conversations, particularly tough for the player,” he said when asked for an insight into how he dealt with Slade, Dombrandt and co. “Having been in the players’ shoes, I still remember where I was when I got the phone call saying I wasn’t picked in a World Cup squad.
“I still remember what was said. So I think ensuring those conversations are clear and those conversations have a real empathy. They’re tough.
“I was on the Recreation Ground in Bath, just off the back of where the stands are. That is where I was, I was in training when I got the call,” he added, but he refused to divulge exactly what was said to him by Woodward. “That is for me to remember.”
He was similarly schtum regarding the specifics of the various rejection chats he conducted at the weekend in Cardiff following England’s 9-20 defeat in their opening Summer Nations Series match. Instead, he only offered generalisations but insisted the decision-making process was above board and proper.
“Clearly there was a lot of deliberation: back row, centre, back three. That is where the final calls came down to. The selection process has been a series of ongoing meetings, the collation of information to inform the picture.
“Going into Saturday night we were pretty clear on what the final selection decisions were and also very clear what the key questions that needed to be answered within the selection process, so very structured and clear in that way.
“The final couple of calls were very tight calls and we finished that meeting and it was down to me to make the final decision on those calls.
“The document that I had written back in June won’t be too far from where we ended up at. It has been an ongoing process, we have observed and looked and challenged our thinking, had multiple meetings along this path to see what the right squad is. We knew it we were announcing early in comparison to other teams.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Tamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
1 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
1 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
3 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
33 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
4 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
3 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
33 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
33 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to comments