LONDON (Reuters) -A year ago, having lost to South Africa in a miserable autumn to stretch their losing run to five matches, England coach Steve Borthwick kept his chin up and pleaded with disgruntled fans not to panic and to keep the faith.

He pointed out that the five losses had come against top-level opposition - three to New Zealand and once each to Australia and the Springboks - and that they had been mostly narrow defeats during a period of development.