Working longer hours than Jonny Wilkinson may be impossible but Steve Borthwick’s team-mates insist it is a close-run thing. During 16 years of league rugby, in which he has set new Premiership records for the number of games and minutes played by an individual, few have done more hard yards than Saracens’ soon-to-retire captain.
Saturday’s Twickenham final against Northampton will be the 34-year-old lock’s last appearance before he commences a new career as Japan’s full-time forwards coach.
His dedication to Saracens is legendary and his second-row replacement, Scotland’s Jim Hamilton, has an extraordinarily tough act to follow. As Borthwick muttered this week: “I’m not sure which player will be putting his hand up to take my 7am physio slot once I’ve gone.”
The respect of his peers is universal. “Steve manages people well, he understand different personality types and he’ll be a successful coach because of that,” predicted Mark McCall, Sarries’ head coach. “He’s got a superb rugby brain and a way of getting the best out of people.”
Another long-time team-mate, Matt Stevens, feels similarly. “He’s probably one of the most impressive human beings I know. He works so hard for this team. He gave us a team talk recently and must have spent three days preparing it. You could see how much it meant to him. He’s not a highly emotional guy but he is an emotionally intelligent person.”
Borthwick, who won 57 England caps between 2001 and 2010, is also a good example of the gap in perception that can exist between the dressing room and the wider public, who occasionally found his relentlessly earnest post-match interviews as England captain hard to relate to.
His loyalty to his players during his 21 games as captain always mattered more to him than smooth-talking the media.
No one ever doubted his work ethic. His England second-row partner, Simon Shaw, recalled being unable to sleep before a big match and wandering down to the team room in the middle of the night. Who should he find there but Borthwick, hunched over yet more lineout footage.
It was a similar story during his days at Bath. Michael Foley, the former Wallabies hooker, once described him as “the most professional athlete I’ve ever come across” and spoke in awestruck tones about his commitment. “I don’t know exactly what other people are up to, but he couldn’t do any more. He is a special sort of guy. We even reckon he counts the Rice Krispies into his plate to make sure he gets the right number of calories.”
Borthwick’s levels of commitment have arguably increased since switching to Saracens in 2008, and his lineout prowess was central to the club’s Premiership title season in 2011. Sarries would love to send their favourite Cumbrian out in style before he departs for Japan but, win or lose, he will leave with no regrets.
“Playing this sport is a privilege. I feel content … I’ve been a professional for 16 years, I’ve played for two great clubs and I think I’ve earned the respect of my team-mates and made great friends along the way. It’s a tough sport, these are tough men and those bonds are very, very strong. It would be absolutely special to win this weekend but to be part of this group is a privilege.”
He will be the same in Japan: unselfish, driven, a team man to his bootlaces. How fitting that he and Wilkinson, once England age-group team-mates, are retiring at the same time. Both can bow out this weekend secure in the knowledge they could have given no more.