New England coach Steve Borthwick will be drawing on an unlikely source of inspiration as he takes charge of his side for the first time in this weekend's Six Nations opener - former Stoke City manager Tony Pulis.
Borthwick has had a remarkable rise to the top job in English rugby, having retired from playing in 2014 and going on to work under his predecessor Eddie Jones for Japan and England, in between spells at Bristol and most recently as head coach at Leicester Tigers.
But, as he looks to lead his new-look side to a first victory over Scotland in three years, it has emerged that Borthwick has confided in Pulis since he took the Leicester job and has spoken to the Welsh manager on a weekly basis to learn from his experiences.
