Borthwick and Itoje deny claims of rift in squad

England head coach Steve Borthwick and captain Maro Itoje have rejected the claims published in The Times. The article suggested that some players lost faith in Borthwick during the summer campaign. It alleged that players objected to the way Borthwick approached them, and the report also included an account of an argument with Ellis Genge at training.

Following Sunday's 45-22 win over Australia, Borthwick said the story was not accurate. "This is not an environment I recognise. It is not an accurate reflection," the head coach said. He added that some former head coaches had contacted him in recent days to offer support, and that the message from them was "I've been through this, focus on the rugby."

Captain Itoje backed Borthwick at a press conference. Itoje said the players fully support their head coach. Earlier, Jamie George had told Sky Sports that the players were hurt by the article and found the timing of its publication shocking.