Steve Borthwick has been named the England rugby captain for the upcoming six nations. This causes problems to many people in the game. The reason why people are upset is because he is being compared to his coach. Martin Johnson was a great leader of the greatest England rugby team. Steve Borthwick is not leading a great team. The current England team is so lacking in other leaders around the field that his frailties as leader are being exposed.
The other question regarding Steve Borthwick is whether he is worth his place in the side. He was drafted into the side originally as a lineout specialist but the England lineout has hardly set the world on fire. The South African line out is the gold standard in the world, with the Irish probably the best in the Northern hemisphere. He is not a great ball carrier or overly demonstrative. In other words he is not the mercurial Simon Shaw, the evergreen athletic Wasps second row. In a perfect world England would have had Phil Vickery leading the side long term but a neck injury has halted his England prospects. I Believe that Lewis Moody should be leading the side. He is the best back row in England who has a style of play the inspires all around him and this is what England needs more than anything else inspiration.
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