Steve Borthwick’s fitness for England’s trip to France still uncertain
• England captain has had another scan on injured left knee
• Tom Palmer on standby for game in Paris
Steve Borthwick must still prove his fitness if he is to captain England against France in Paris on Saturday, in the Six Nations finale.
Borthwick underwent another scan on his injured left knee this afternoon and the England medical team will make a final decision on his availability before the squad leave for Paris tomorrow. The Stade Français lock Tom Palmer has been training with England all week and is on standby to come into the squad if Borthwick is ruled out.
Borthwick aggravated an existing injury late in England's 15-15 draw with Scotland last weekend and the prognosis does not look promising. After receiving conflicting opinions from two specialists on Tuesday afternoon, Borthwick was advised to spend 48 hours with his leg in a brace and he sat out yesterday's training session.
Borthwick's condition was reviewed today and there were no reports of an improvement from the England staff, only confirmation that a final decision will be delayed until the last minute.
Borthwick, who has captained England in 20 consecutive Test matches, had been carrying the injury for about three weeks but it flared up worse than normal at Murrayfield. "There was an incident late in the game on Saturday and I just had a sharp occurrence," he said yesterday. "It is something I have been rehabbing a little bit over the last few weeks – but this is different."
The Northampton lock Courtney Lawes was on the bench for England against Scotland but Palmer was drafted in from Paris because of his superior lineout knowledge.
Via: Sport: Six Nations rugby | guardian.co.uk.
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