Former England captain Steve Borthwick insists Chris Robshaw does not need his, or anyone else’s advice on how to do his job as Red Rose skipper.
Instead Borthwick, who captained his country from 2008-2010, remains adamant the future of English rugby is very much in the right hands with Robshaw leading from the front.
Eyebrows were raised before this year’s Six Nations when the Quins flanker was given the armband, despite having only represented his country once before.
But the 26-year-old proved to be the man for the job, leading England to a clean sweep of away wins over Scotland, Italy and France and only tasting defeat against Grand Slam winners Wales.
A summer tour to South Africa followed and despite missing the final drawn test with a fractured thumb Borthwick has seen enough from Robshaw’s first seven months at the helm.
“It’s not my place to tell Chris or other people what they should or shouldn’t do,” he said.
“He’ll get on with his job. The team is going great, he’s going great, the future of this England team is really bright.
“They have got a lot of young guys who already have a fair amount of experience, with a summer tour behind them, and they are very clear about their direction and the way they want to play. The future for this England team is great.
“Where Chris should play is a question for Stuart Lancaster. It’s great for English rugby that we have got a lot of quality around, and not just in the back row.
“You’ve got to have competition for places. I would imagine Robshaw would relish that.”
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