Steve Borthwick has four games to saves his job as England head coach

Following a Six Nations campaign that only saw his side claim one sole victory against Wales out of five matches. This included a first-ever defeat to Italy in Rome, which placed Borthwick's job under substantial scrutiny.

The performance against France at the Stade de France brought some encouragement, but still, questions remained over his future as England's head coach.

After the conclusion of the championship, the Rugby Football Union (RFU) announced their backing of Borthwick, despite questions being asked about his future.

This was a tournament that constituted England’s worst performance since the expansion from the Five Nations in 2000.

In a statement in May, RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney said: “This has been a thorough and honest review, and it is clear that improvement will come from addressing several areas rather than chasing one simple answer.

That brings us to Friday evening, where Borthwick has selected an England XV to face a France XV at the Stade de la Rabine in Vannes.

Normally with these fixtures, analysing team announcements gives supporters an opportunity to watch future stars. But, this doesn’t feel like any sort of team announcement.

“We’re looking forward to an exciting challenge against a strong French team in what will be a demanding fixture,” added Borthwick.

There are moments where pressure becomes more visible, and this team announcement is one of those moments.

It’s a warm-up match for three Tests against South Africa, Fiji, and Argentina, but this is a contest where a coach is not at ease, and knows that this summer matters.

England have a chance tonight to reduce that pressure on Borthwick. Sometimes, the result doesn’t really matter in these fixture scenarios, but the team announced should have only one thing on their mind. Winning.

And it may sound harsh, given that Borthwick has only been in the role since December 2022 and is in a World Cup cycle that doesn’t finish until 2027. But there’s really pressure this summer to deliver.

Head coaches, after all, are supposed to experiment during non-capped matches. But when you’ve selected George Ford as captain, and several other notable players add context to this match in Brittany.

It’s a match that shows that Borthwick has got the depth at his disposal, and will still expose young players to international rugby, such as Saracens’ Noah Caluori.

This will undoubtedly broaden Borthwick's options when it comes to the tournament in Australia next year. But this summer could also mean the end of those plans, if it is not a successful campaign.

England’s next match is in Johannesburg against world champions South Africa on July 4, before facing Fiji and Argentina the following two weekends.

In these matches, England must show that lessons have been learnt from the dismal Six Nations campaign and with the World Cup less than 15 months away, Borthwick should have already drafted his side to face Tonga in Brisbane in their opening match of the tournament.

England is still trying to establish an identity beyond their established leaders, and they’ll be without one key figurehead this summer: Maro Itoje.

When you’re the head coach of England, results will always matter, and without a marquee player, Itoje’s leadership may hinder those results.

So what does a successful summer look like? A win in Vannes on Friday and against Fiji in Liverpool, or winning all four scheduled matches.

But, if it’s only those two wins that England achieve this summer, then there needs to be genuine evidence of progress.

What Borthwick and his side can’t afford to do in this series of matches is leave England supporters asking the same questions they were asking following the Six Nations.

That horrid campaign needs to look like a distant memory after this summer. That should be the aim.

Questions need answering, and the team selected to face France XV is fascinating. Perhaps, come full-time in Vannes supporters may be given a boost prior to then facing the daunting task of challenging the Springboks at Ellis Park.

The 2027 World Cup is coming into view, and expectations for the tournament will be high. They’ve got a favourable route to the final, and Borthwick knows that.

That should fill this England side with confidence, and when the full squad for the Nations Championship is revealed early next week, the pressure begins to heighten even more.

Since rugby turned professional in 1995, England have had a host of captains lead the team through World Cups, Grand Slams, Lions tours and some of the biggest moments in the sport's history.

From World Cup-winning legends to short-term stand-ins, how many England captains of the professional era can you name?

You have five minutes to name them all. Good luck!?