Borthwick and Cipriani look ahead
Mon, 01 Dec 2008 13:52
November has been a tough month for pretty much all of the England squad but few have had a rougher ride than new captain Steve Borthwick and young starlet Dany Cipriani. We hear their thoughts following the 32-6 defeat to the All Blacks at Twickenham this weekend.
Having come under huge pressure even before the defeat to the Kiwi’s this weekend Borthwick will now fully understand the strains of being an international captain. The Saracens lock forward, whose appointment was applauded by many, has had a month to forget both as a leader and a player.
Speaking about where they go to from here Borthwick refused to be too downbeat and critical of this team - saying they remain determined and committed to perform for their country.
"It's easy to be critical and to write people off... but we're a bunch of guys who are desperate to play for England and desperate to win. Saying that, we have to be very clear about where we can improve and how we can all become better players."
He continued: "I'm tremendously disappointed to have lost so many matches. But building a side with the right quality and experience takes time. I've seen a huge amount over the last few weeks to be positive about."
Wasps star Cipriani, relegated to the bench for the final match of November, came into the Autumn Series with a massive weight of expectation. To say he failed to live up to them would be an great understatement.
Despite his disappointment this month though the 21 year-old playmaker says he is already trying to focus on the future and refusing to let a bad month get him down.
"I'm desperate to play more games in the England jersey and get back to the form I was in last year. Hopefully I can put the frustration behind me and perform on a more consistent basis."
With thanks to www.rfu.com for original quotes.
Captain and star? What does the future hold for both of them? let us know what you think...
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