Danny Care: England will hit ‘massive heights’ under Steve Borthwick

England scrum-half Danny Care is not ready to walk away from the Red Rose, given the “phenomenal” job close pal Jamie George has done in his time of personal grief.

Care won his 101st cap in Saturday night’s Six Nations thriller against France in a team reborn under the leadership of George.

The Harlequin’s Test career has spanned 16 years but he will be 40 when the next World Cup rolls around, and he knows coach Steve Borthwick is going to trade him in for a newer model sooner rather than later.

101 and not out

Care has spoken about finishing in New Zealand this summer, where his England career began in 2008, but as he flew home from France, he was not prepared to put a date on it.

“I’m still ‘not out’ at the moment,” said the evergreen halfback. “I’m going to go home and assess and speak to the family. I’ve not made any big decisions yet.

“I’ve loved being a part of this team, I genuinely have. Particularly the past seven weeks, during the Six Nations, have been some of my favourite times in an England jersey.

“If it had finished a couple of years ago it would have been a bit meh, a bit rubbish, but I’ve never been prouder to wear the shirt as I am now. This is team is going to go in one direction.”

Captain Jamie George

England’s resurgence, a dramatic, high-quality home win over champions Ireland followed by another thriller of a performance in Lyon, has coincided with captain George grieving the brutally sudden loss of his mum to cancer.

It has been an epic show of character by the Saracens and Lions hooker, which has left his Red Rose teammates awestruck and inspired each to raise their game.

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“What can I say about Jamie and the emotional stuff he’s had to go through,” said Care. “What he’s done in the last six to eight weeks has been nothing short of phenomenal.

“The way he’s battled through and dealt with everything, the way he has led his country with everything that has gone on in the background for him, we’re so proud of him as his mates.

“I think the fans feel that and have really responded to him, knowing it would have been very easy for him to shut up shop, take some time out and not be there.

“He’s out there wanting to lead the team. I feel the fans have really helped him and he really appreciates all the love that he’s got. I think that helps the team.”

With Alex Mitchell firmly installed in the number nine shirt and fellow youngster Raffi Quirke earmarked for great things if he can stay clear of injury, Care knows the scrum-half position is in good hands going forward.

Saturday signalled the end of an era with Manu Tuilagi playing his 60th and, almost certainly, final Test before moving overseas this summer.

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Ageing stars

Like Care, props Dan Cole and Joe Marler continue to defy Old Father Time, but Borthwick has shown with his demotion of fullback Freddie Steward that he is no slave to sentiment and will wield the axe if he considers there to be a better alternative for the game he wants his team to play.

Care has no problem with that but rather than dwell on his own future prefers to focus on what is in store for an England team which finished the Six Nations with more wins than losses for the first time in four years.

“If I were an England supporter right now, I’d be really excited by what I’m seeing,” he said. “There was the disappointment of the Scotland game – what you saw wasn’t really us – but then came the Ireland and France games.

“I think it’s a team that fans will be really excited to watch, and I think it’s a team that will get better. Everyone better watch out because when this team is on fire, they’ll be very hard to stop.

“The aim going into the tournament was to win the whole thing,” he added. “Obviously, we haven’t done that, but the team has taken huge strides in the right direction of where it wants to go. I’ve no doubt this team is going to hit some massive heights.”

George Ford has been key to the transformation by playing appreciably flatter to the line on the past two weekends, adding pace and precision to England’s game and allowing the likes of Ollie Lawrence and Ben Earl to make hay with fastball.

“Some big players have really stepped up,” agreed Care. “The boys are already itching to get into the next game.”

That is against Japan and Eddie Jones, the coach England sacked because they were neither winning nor entertaining. What a metamorphosis he will be privy to, with or without Care.

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