Maro Itoje has thrown his weight behind Steve Borthwick, declaring England can achieve "special things" under his leadership despite a disastrous Six Nations campaign. England finished fifth after four consecutive defeats, including a humiliating first-ever loss to Italy. The captain remains unwavering in his support for the head coach.

RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney has confirmed Borthwick will be given the chance to orchestrate a revival during this summer's inaugural Nations Championship. England face South Africa, Fiji and Argentina in July - three demanding Tests that will determine whether the coach sees out his contract through the 2027 Rugby World Cup.

"We weren't as successful as we wanted to be, but how I felt at the beginning of the tournament doesn't change now," Itoje told Sky Sports at the Football Black List event. The lock insisted he retains "a lot of faith, a lot of belief in this England team" despite the abject campaign. England entered the Six Nations on an 11-Test winning run but unravelled completely, suffering defeats to Scotland, Ireland, Italy and France.