Steely-eyed Borthwick not afraid to let the mask slip

Head coach will back his men to the hilt but always lets them know who’s boss

- Nick Purewal

IN THE shadow of Marseille's former island prison Chateau d'If, England will launch their World Cup campaign against Argentina on Saturday.

A sign at the notorious jail claims that The Man in the Iron Mask was once held here, this seafarer's gateway to North Africa.

The legend does not tally with the factual accounts of a prisoner who indeed existed, dying in the Bastille in 1703, but about whom precious little is certain.

Another inscrutable man with an impenetrable facade jetted into town this afternoon, as England landed in Marseille to launch their Rugby World Cup mission.

Steve Borthwick projects a ferrous face to the wider world, refusing to engage on difficult topics and insisting his England squad are cool, calm and collected.

The Red Rose head coach volunteers an entirely different veil in front of his closest friends, colleagues and confidants, however.

Borthwick is as fierce in his loyalty as he is in his judgment. So while he will stand firm with team-mates to the very end, he will also deliver the most brutal of blows when he deems it required.

The 43-year-old made total honesty his chief manifesto pledge when he took the helm in December.