Of more immediate concern to Borthwick will be England’s clash with Fiji at Twickenham on Saturday.

Despite the presence of two Fijian-born players in the England squad, there will be no warm welcome from the visitors when they come face-to-face with wing Semesa Rokoduguni and replacement back-row forward Nathan Hughes.

Fiji, hampered by poor preparation time and a recurring lack of finance and resource, have put any misgivings aside and aim to parade their skills to an English audience at Twickenham who have thrilled to the exploits of the likes of Rokoduguni and Hughes for their clubs. The pair will not ­expect any preferential treatment. Quite the opposite. “We will meet up after the game as mates but during the game it will be a different story,” said Fiji captain Akapusi Qera. “We are happy for them and happy for the achievement. We cannot stop them from trying to progress their rugby careers. On the field it is a totally different ball game.”