The 30-year-old second row was not selected in England’s 44-man touring party of Australasia because of a knee injury he picked in the RBS 6 Nations match against Scotland.

Borthwick has featured for neither club nor country since then and it was expected that Sarries would continue with the second-row pairing of Hugh Vyvyan and Mouritz Botha.

Both Saracens boss Brendan Venter and Borthwick himself indicated he would play no part in the run-in to focus on recuperation.

Last week Borthwick said: “My job now is to get my knee right.

“I'm disappointed, of course: my first England tour, of South Africa in 2000, was a wonderful experience and these trips don't come along every day.

“But I do have an injury and I need to deal with it.”

Now though he will regain the club captaincy as Saracens aim to bring home their first ever Guinness Premiership title.