Steve Borthwick has been dropped from England's 32-man elite squad, for the 2010-2011 season, the RFU have confirmed. England manager Martin Johnson has also axed wing Ugo Monye and centre Mathew Tait while lock Louis Deacon and hooker Lee Mears join them in being relegated to the second-string Saxons squad. Leicester scrum-half Ben Youngs and prop Dan Cole are officially promoted into the seniors after establishing themselves in the Test team during England's tour of Australia and New Zealand. Wasps' uncapped centre Dominic Waldouck has also been included along with Leeds flanker Hendre Fourie and Gloucester prop Paul Doran-Jones. Borthwick's fall from grace has been rapid and it represents a marked change in direction from Johnson and the England management. Johnson had stood by Borthwick in the face of widespread criticism over the last two years and the Saracens lock captained England for 20 consecutive Tests until he was sidelined by a knee injury. Borthwick, 30, missed England's Six Nations game against France followed by the summer Test series against Australia - and he has now paid the ultimate price. http://www.scrum.com/england/rugby/story/118828.html
