"Vice-captain to retired" - 5 England stars who were kicked to the curb by Steve Borthwick

Several players, some of whom were once regular starters or even vice-captains under Eddie Jones, have seen their international careers come to an abrupt halt.

Below are five players who have not been given a chance to feature under Borthwick's leadership.

With a move to France pending, the Exeter Chiefs flier went from vice-captain in the Autumn to being completely out of the squad for the Six Nations, reportedly without a phone call.

Brutal from Steve Borthwick, whose selection is reportedly being heavily influenced by RFU chiefs according to Eddie Jones.

Any chance of a recall seemed to go out the window in March as Nowell was fined £10,000 by the Rugby Football Union for criticising a refereeing decision on Twitter. The 30-year-old accepted his post prejudiced the game when appearing in front of an independent disciplinary panel.

Nowell said referee Karl Dickson’s decision to show Woodburn his second yellow card was “one of the worst decisions” he had ever seen.

Later, the winger, who has now confirmed a move to La Rochelle, formally pulled out of contention for the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

The Exeter powerhouse was starting to establish himself as a regular under Jones prior to his sacking last December. He's now followed Nowell in pulling out of the 2023 World Cup.

Despite not having played under Borthwick during the 2023 Six Nations, Simmonds engaged in open discussions with the coach and subsequently made himself unavailable for selection in the training squad of 28 players, according to The Telegraph..

During the 2021/22 season, Coles took on the captain’s armband for the first time – leading the side against London Irish and Harlequins in the Premiership Rugby Cup. 

A successful campaign (in which Saints qualified for the Premiership play-offs) ended with Coles making 29 appearances and being named Breakthrough Player of the Season at the Club’s annual awards ceremony.

And Coles’ reward for his stellar performances would come in the form of an England call-up and three caps in the Red Rose during the 2022 Autumn Nations Series.

However, since Borthwick took charge Coles hasn't even been recalled to a training squad.

Last Autumn, Jones persuaded Mercer to leave Montpellier and aim for an England comeback. However, Mercer must currently find himself puzzled as he has been excluded from Borthwick's training squad.

Having welcomed his first child, daughter Iris, last weekend, Mercer shared his thoughts with The Times about his England setback. He provided insights into the conversation he had with head coach Borthwick and how he has coped with the disappointment.

“It was obviously extremely disappointing but I’m ready and I’ve got the aspiration to put on that England jersey again,” he said.

“There were things that Steve wanted that I maybe couldn’t provide. I’m out of the picture, but I’m not just looking to the World Cup, even though it would have been amazing to return to France.

“I know I’ve got a long few years ahead of me yet. Don’t get me wrong, for 48 hours it was tough, but reality kicks in and you go, ‘Look, you’ve got a pregnant wife, a beautiful house to move into, real-life things you’ve got to sort out."

After reaching 50 appearances for Saints in 2020/21, Furbank earned an England recall to feature against Canada in the summer, before starting at fly-half against Tonga in the 2021 Autumn Nations Series.

A regular squad member under Jones, versatile back Furbank is another who has seen his involvement under Borthwick limited.