The England squad flies back from Denver this weekend for a week’s rest after a gruelling two weeks in Colorado that has, according to Andy Farrell, brought the players even closer together.

England took 45 players to the United States and they will all return home fit, despite contact work starting in earnest this week. The players will report to the training base in Bagshot after their rest to start preparing for the August warm-up internationals against France but up to nine of them will be sent back to their clubs at the end of the first week.

“We have learned a lot about the players in the last couple of weeks,” said Farrell, the backs coach. “You get to know them more when they have to dig deep: it has not been a case of flogging them by making them run but asking questions of their skill and ability under pressure and extreme conditions, seeing who can cope and who cannot. The really experienced guys in the squad feel it is the hardest training camp they have ever been involved in and I am very happy about where we are. They have been doing four sessions a day in 32 degrees heat and they have all helped each other through them. They have dug in and suffered together and we will be a better team as a result. We have also had some fun, kayaking, fishing and playing golf, and what is clear is the respect players have for each other.

“They will have a well-deserved break but will then face an important week in training because we will have to make a selection decision at the end of it. We have not made up our minds about exactly how many players will be cut, but the squad could be reduced to 36 or 38.”

England have not suffered any injuries in the last two weeks beyond a few niggles and the No8 Ben Morgan, who has not played since January after suffering a broken leg, is due to resume contact training before the flight home.

Farrell said that Sam Burgess would only be considered as an inside-centre even though his club, Bath, maintain his best position is blindside flanker and will use him in the back row when he returns to the Recreation Ground, whether that is before the World Cup or afterwards.

“Sam is with us as a 12 and he has shown up well in training,” said Farrell, who also made the switch from rugby league to union as a player. Asked about Burgess’s chances of making the 31 for the World Cup, he replied: “We will see, and the same goes for everyone else in the squad. He is in the mix and doing very well.

“He is in a very competitive position and the advantage of having 45 players training is that we can run three teams, swapping players around in different positions to see how they cope. Owen Farrell is another who can play at 12, although he has been used more at outside-half in training. What we have found is that everyone is totally committed to the cause.”