In the Lock No 5 bar – a room in Twickenham’s east stand dedicated to second-rows – Steve Borthwick was conspicuous by his absence. English rugby’s power brokers had gathered to unveil the vaunted new agreement which will shape the landscape of the game but the national team head coach was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps he was busy trying to fill the gaps in his backroom staff.
The Professional Game Partnership (PGP) governs how club and country coexist, how the Rugby Football Union and Premiership Rugby cooperate. There was backslapping, talk of “landmark agreements” and “historic collaboration”, but pick through the bones of it and it is clear that whether it succeeds or fails rests almost entirely on Borthwick’s shoulders.
