England captain Maro Itoje has given his "full support" to head coach Steve Borthwick following the team's 45-22 victory over Australia in the Nations Championship at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham.
Borthwick had been under significant pressure heading into the match after a report in The Times claimed that the end of England's summer tour was disrupted by a player-coach rift, with unhappy players allegedly seeking crisis talks with Borthwick and Rugby Football Union chief executive Bill Sweeney in Argentina in July.
Itoje's Post-Match Defence
Speaking after the game, Itoje interjected during England's press conference to offer his backing to Borthwick, who had revealed that several former coaches had reached out to support him in the wake of the reports.
"Sorry, can I just add to that? I think, particularly from a player's point of view, we have full support in Steve," Itoje said.
"I've had the privilege of Steve being my coach from 2016, with a little gap in his Leicester years, and that's not the man I recognise. The article doesn't represent the environment I recognise, and I think if you speak to players over his coaching career, they will say a different story."
Players' Responsibility
Itoje, making his first England appearance since the Six Nations after a summer rest, acknowledged that criticism was part of the game but stressed that players must take responsibility for performances on the pitch.
"He's a world-class coach and we're lucky to have him," Itoje said, adding that there have been times when players have not performed, which has put pressure on the coach.
England ran in seven tries to record their biggest-ever winning margin over Australia, securing only a fourth win in nine games this calendar year. Vice-captain Jamie George had earlier expressed disappointment with the report, suggesting that "a lot" of what was said was "untrue" and that it would have a galvanising effect on the team.
