Guinness Premiership

England captain Steve Borthwick will discover in the next 48 hours whether a rib injury suffered in Saracens' bruising 22-9 victory over Harlequins could threaten his chances of playing in the November internationals.

Borthwick refused to be substituted until Saracens had secured a third straight victory that tonight leaves them top of the Guinness Premiership table.

England will also have major concerns over Jordan Turner-Hall, who will have an x-ray on a shoulder injury, and his Quins teammate David Strettle, who has another potential foot problem.

Saracens Director of Rugby Brendan Venter admitted the loss of Borthwick would be a major blow for both club and country given the way he has started the season.

England's first Test is against Australia on November 7.

Venter said: "Steve is a little bit of a worry for us. He will have a scan tomorrow [Sunday] and we will see how his rib is. He is just so courageous. He hurt his rib but he stayed on the field for which I am massively thankful. He is playing really well, which is fantastic for England. He is a serious world-class international lock. It would be a blow [if it turns out to be a broken rib] but we will deal with that if it comes.

"It is very hard for a coach to set a standard and a culture if you don't have a captain like that. If you talk about a disciplined, honest, hard-working individual then Steve Borthwick fits that bill 100%. I have been very blessed to have a captain like that.

"In our first two games this season Steve had the most contributions and the second most contributions. We measure everything - tackles, ball carries, his rucking, his defensive play - and he is right at the top of our team."

Harlequins were tonight assessing the state of Turner-Hall, who is a live contender to replace the injured Riki Flutey as England's inside centre for the autumn.

England captain Steve Borthwick will discover in the next 48 hours whether a rib injury suffered in Saracens' bruising 22-9 victory over Harlequins could threaten his chances of playing in the autumn internationals.

Turner-Hall's anticipated showdown with Saracens' own contender Brad Barritt never sparked into life as the Men in Black persisted with their a game-plan dominated by the boot.

Derick Hougaard kicked 17 points, including two drop goals, and Harlequins knew they had a mountain to climb when Kameli Ratuvou scored Saracens' try early in the second half.

The scores had been 6-6 at the interval but Saracens had spent the majority of the half just soaking up pressure and kicking the ball.

Quins head coach John Kingston said: "We should have been six or nine points ahead at half-time but they defended very well.

"Just before half-time I sensed there was an element of frustration coming into our game and that never seemed to leave our game and we became more frantic.

"The try they scored changed the game because when they get in front they are very hard to play against. They play a certain way and they kick the ball a hell of a lot.

"It was not as if we didn't know what was coming. They executed it well, we didn't deal with it and they ended up worthy winners."