Steve Borthwick turns to 2003 World Cup heroes for Six Nations inspiration

• Blow as scrum-half Alex Mitchell is ruled out of campaign

• Johnson, Dallaglio, Leonard and co to dine with players

Steve Borthwick has turned to England’s 2003 World Cup winners to arrest his side’s drastic decline after enduring another setback with the scrum‑half Alex Mitchell ruled out for the rest of the Six Nations.

Borthwick’s squad were due on Wednesday night to have dinner with members of the 2003 team, including the captain Martin Johnson, the Test centurion Jason Leonard and Lewis Moody, who revealed in October that he had been diagnosed with motor neurone disease.