Borthwick insists England are well-prepared for South Africa

England's head coach, Steve Borthwick, aged 45, asserts that discussions regarding his position do not serve as a distraction as he aims to halt the team's streak of losses against the reigning world champions, South Africa, at Twickenham this Saturday.

Borthwick's squad approaches this weekend's encounter having suffered four consecutive defeats, with five losses in their last six matches.

Notably, several of these defeats have occurred by narrow margins, as evidenced by their initial two November internationals at Twickenham, where England narrowly lost 24-22 to New Zealand and 42-37 to Australia in their most recent outing. Both contests were determined in the final moments.

Since taking over from Eddie Jones as England's coach in 2022, Borthwick has achieved a modest win rate of 50 percent, with 13 victories out of 26 matches.

While the Rugby Football Union continues to extend its full support to the former England captain, Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus remarked that the pressure Borthwick faces is comparable to having a "gun against your head."

However, Borthwick, addressing the media after announcing his team on Thursday, stated, "When you are coaching England, there are always external factors. That is a constant."

He emphasized that had it not been for "a couple of little things," the narrative surrounding the team would be significantly more positive regarding their performance this Autumn.

"The ball hasn't bounced our way," Borthwick noted. "The external dialogue differs from our reality. Therefore, the focus remains on improving today, which is my primary goal as a coach and for the team."

Borthwick, a former lock, further remarked, "One of my strengths is my ability to concentrate and compartmentalize effectively. My responsibility is to coach this team, which I am passionate about, and I remain committed to this group of players. We must enhance our performance."

England came agonizingly close to victory against the Springboks in their last meeting, suffering a narrow 16-15 defeat in the World Cup semi-final held in France last year.

"We are disappointed with our lack of victories; we aim to secure wins, and this weekend presents an excellent challenge for us," stated Borthwick.

The England head coach has implemented four alterations to his starting lineup, reinstating full-back Freddie Steward and scrum-half Jack van Poortvliet. Additionally, wing Ollie Sleightholme and flanker Sam Underhill have been included following the exclusion of Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Tom Curry, both sidelined due to head injuries sustained in the match against Australia.

In contrast, South Africa, the reigning world champions, have made a staggering 12 changes to the team that triumphed over Scotland 32-15 at Murrayfield last weekend, a victory that propelled the Springboks back to the pinnacle of the world rankings.

"They have developed a squad with remarkable depth and quality," remarked Borthwick.

"With twelve changes and nearly 1,200 caps in play this weekend, it is an extraordinary situation to be in.

"What he (Erasmus) has accomplished since 2018, through the 2019 World Cup and into the 2023 World Cup, has been the continuous development of an impressive program."