Paul Rees finds some reasons to be cheerful as Maro Itoje prepares to lead his side in the toughest of starts...

Steve Borthwick was hitting the phone on Monday, the day before his flight to Rome for the launch of the Six Nations and then on to Girona for England’s warmer weather training camp ahead of the tournament which starts on Friday night.
The final group round of the Champions Cup produced a number of casualties, not least the hooker Jamie George who pulled a hamstring playing for Saracens against Castres.
Had Borthwick been able to predict the future, he would not have had to unve...