Borthwick's men were beaten 29-20 in the Autumn Nations Series to extend their miserable run of consecutive defeats to five games. Their loss at the hands of the Springboks comes after similar margin defeats to New Zealand and Australia in November, with the 45-year-old now facing increased scrutiny on his position.

In a frustrating month for the England senior side, a 38-17 win for the A team over their Australian counterparts will have offered some positivity. It may also have provided a window into the future,

Small signs of progress have been shown by England this November but Borthwick is under pressure after five consecutive defeats

England full-back Freddie Steward has defended under-fire head coach Steve Borthwick and said it’s the players who should be blamed for the defeat to South Africa. The Red Roses lost a fifth consecutive Test match as they went down 29-20 at Allianz Stadium,