Borthwick gets all-clear to lead England but Saracens still want action

Chris Jones
28 Sep 2009

Steve Borthwick has escaped serious injury after being kicked in the face yesterday and will be able to lead England in the November Tests.

The national skipper had an X-ray at Moorfields Eye Hospital today which revealed he had not damaged an eye socket during the controversial incident in Saracens' 19-16 victory over Gloucester.

Although the lock will be out for between two to four weeks he will be available for the first of the Autumn Tests, which is against Australia on 7 November.

Borwthick's injury was caused by the boot of Gloucester's Olivier Azam during a ruck and, although the hooker insists it was an accident, Saracens are calling for the Rugby Football Union to investigate.

Sarries head coach Mark McCall said: "We are concerned at the way it occurred and it would appear it may have been a deliberate act of foul play.

"It is something nobody wants to see. Steve was on the ground and pretty much defenceless in the position he was in."

The club's chief executive, Edward Griffiths, who visited Borthwick at Moorfields last night, said: "He is an amazing guy. There he was in hospital and all he wanted to talk about was the win.

"This kind of thing is an isolated incident but it's something we do not want to see in the sport. I am sure the authorities will look at it."

Azam defended himself over the allegations and said he had lashed out with his right leg because his left ankle was being twisted at the bottom of a ruck.

"I didn't know I did it. Someone twisted my ankle but I didn't know I touched him," he said. "Of course it was accidental."

Another concern for Sarries was the attendance of 7,777 for their first game of the season at Vicarage Road.

Having previously turned out at Twickenham and Wembley, Sarries had hoped to generate more interest and raise their average gate figure at Watford to above 9,000, which would still not be financially viable.

"The size of the crowd was disappointing and shows that the work we have done on the pitch to create a team that have gone top of the Premiership must be matched off it in terms of increasing our attendances," Griffiths said.

He also hit out at some of the fans who booed their own team during a tedious passage of play in the second half.

"The whole club have a clear aim of winning the Premiership and we have made an extraordinary start," he said.

"Against this background, it was astonishing to hear a vocal minority booing the team. At a time when they were trailing by two points and straining every muscle to seize the victory, the players surely deserved unequivocal support.

"When was the last time the Leicester Tigers were booed by any section of the crowd at Welford Road? When was the last time Manchester United were booed at Old Trafford? Ever? At winning clubs with a winning mentality, the home supporters simply do not boo the players."

Sarries secured their win thanks to the boot of Glen Jackson, who collected 14 points, and a try from hooker Schalk Brits.

Meanwhile, scrum-half Paul Hodgson showed his England credentials by helping London Irish beat London Wasps 28-16.