#1. Steve Borthwick
Itoje said: “I thought I’d be able to beat him for speed, on physical prowess alone. But I couldn’t get anywhere close. Not only was he technically brilliant but it was also the intelligence of how he called, found space and manipulated opponents.”
- Born in Carlisle, Cumbria, Borthwick was captain of the Hutton Grammar School rugby team
- He was appointed the England forwards coach in December 2015; a role which he left in mid 2020 to become head coach of Leicester Tigers
- Borthwick captained Bath to victory in the 2007–08 European Challenge Cup
- A member of England’s wider 2003 World Cup squad, he narrowly missed selection to the final 30.