Expect 'pain and suffering' Borthwick tells players to dig deep in bid to beat All Blacks

Steve Borthwick has called on his side to prepare for “pain and suffering” if they are to end their losing run against the All Blacks, demanding the most selfless England team in history in the showdown on Saturday.

- Gerard Meagher

Predicting an aerial bombardment from New Zealand, Borthwick has recalled George Ford, insisting his fly-half general “will be an England coach in the future”, and again loaded his bench with the “Pom Squad”, including six British & Irish Lions among his replacements.

Freddie Steward returns at fullback and Borthwick has stacked his bench with Ellis Genge - who was captain last week - Luke Cowan-Dickie, Will Stuart, Tom Curry, Henry Pollock and Marcus Smith; all of whom toured Australia with the Lions during the summer.

England have not beaten New Zealand since the 2019 World Cup semifinal and lost three narrow encounters against them last year.

The All Blacks are unbeaten in five Twickenham games, a run dating back to 2012. Borthwick’s team are marginal favourites with the bookmakers, however, after a run of nine successive wins but the head coach has laid bare the depths his players will have to reach to achieve victory.