Steve Borthwick will face a significant challenge in preparing England for this year’s autumn internationals after the Rugby Football Union (RFU) scheduled an additional November Test against Australia. This decision comes at the cost of a crucial warm-weather training camp that Borthwick had planned to use to fine-tune his squad’s cohesion before a demanding series of matches.
Traditionally, England plays three autumn internationals in the same year as a British & Irish Lions tour, allowing the national team an extended period of preparation. However, the RFU has opted to schedule a fourth match, citing financial reasons, as it could generate up to £10 million in revenue. This move follows the RFU’s latest financial accounts, which revealed record losses of £42 million in reserves.
The new Professional Game Partnership (PGP), which was introduced last summer, is designed to provide Premiership clubs with £33 million annually while also ensuring that England players are available for an extra week of training before international campaigns. Under this agreement, players miss a round of domestic fixtures, allowing Borthwick to take them to a warm-weather camp in Girona. This extra time has been a key component of England’s preparation, helping the team gel despite being drawn from ten different club sides.
However, the agreement was based on England playing three autumn Tests. With the addition of a fourth match, the intended training week is effectively being replaced by the game against Australia, scheduled for 1 November. This means Borthwick will have one less week to bring his squad together, forcing him to adapt his plans under less-than-ideal circumstances.
The decision is expected to frustrate Borthwick, who has previously emphasized the importance of additional preparation time. He has spoken at length about the difficulty of bringing together a squad from multiple clubs and ensuring they function as a cohesive unit before facing high-level international opposition. Losing a dedicated training week only adds to the challenge. Additionally, with players available for their club sides the weekend before the Australia match, Borthwick will have to contend with potential injuries disrupting his plans.
England’s recent history in autumn internationals highlights the potential consequences of reduced preparation time. Last year, they suffered defeats in their opening three matches against New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa before securing a win against Japan. A sluggish start to the series was evident, with Borthwick acknowledging after the South Africa defeat that his players had not been in the right physical condition at the start of the campaign compared to their southern hemisphere counterparts. The loss of the training camp only increases the difficulty of ensuring England are at their peak this time around.
Adding to Borthwick’s concerns, a number of senior players will be involved in the British & Irish Lions tour of Australia this summer. While the Lions squad is yet to be confirmed, England is expected to be heavily represented, meaning many first-choice players will have limited opportunities to work with Borthwick between the end of the Six Nations and the start of the autumn internationals.
Meanwhile, Australia will benefit from an intense period of high-level competition, having played against the Lions as well as participating in the Rugby Championship. By the time the two sides meet in November, Australia will likely have developed significant cohesion and match sharpness, whereas England could still be finding their rhythm.
Borthwick now faces the challenge of making the most of the time he does have with his squad, ensuring that England enter the series as prepared as possible despite the setbacks. His ability to adapt to these circumstances could be a defining factor in how England performs this autumn.
