The Lions management have drawn up an extensive list of up to 30 reserves, with each player to be informed they are on standby and required to sign a contract.

Cardiff Blues fly-half Nicky Robinson revealed over the weekend he received a phone call from Lions attack coach Rob Howley to let him know he was on the waiting list.

Borthwick has had no such phone call, indicating the Lions management do not consider the England captain among the leading 67 players in the British Isles.

“I have had no contact,” said Borthwick.

But he vowed the opinions of Ian McGeechan and his fellow coaches – which include England’s scrum expert Graham Rowntree – would not affect his desire heading into this summer’s two-Test series against Argentina.

“I have worked as hard as I possibly can to help my country be successful. With that I hoped to get selection for the British and Irish Lions,” said Borthwick, who was speaking at an event organised by Powerade.

“It has not worked out like that. The selectors have decided not to select me. I was very disappointed but that is the selectors’ view.

“Does that mean I am a bad player or a good player, a bad person or a good person? Not at all. That is their view.

“I know I have always worked as hard as I possibly can to help my team-mates get success. Towards the end of the Six Nations our development started to come to fruition and we finished second in the championship.”

Borthwick was omitted from the Lions squad along with Leicester flanker Tom Croft and London Irish full-back Delon Armitage.

England coach Martin Johnson issued an encouraging reminder the Lions door is most certainly not closed.

“You know how those guys are feeling. I texted a few of the guys last week and reminded them that injuries happen on Lions tours,” said Johnson.

“Look at Tomas O’Leary on Friday night. Things will change again during the tour or possibly before the tour.

“We have an important tour ourselves and if there are injuries in South Africa the best place they can be is playing tough competitive rugby so if they are needed they can slip right over there.”

With England providing eight players for the Lions – including experienced heads like Phil Vickery, Joe Worsley and Simon Shaw – Johnson will turn to the next generation to fill a number of the vacancies.

The likes of Harlequins duo Jordan Turner-Hall and Chris Robshaw have both impressed this season.

But, after ending the RBS 6 Nations on a high with successive home wins against France and Scotland, Johnson insisted England’s two-Test series against the Pumas will be no experimenting ground.

“This is not a development tour,” he said.

“We are there to win the Test matches. I don’t want people to think it doesn’t matter because it is a development tour. We will put out our best team available to win that Test match.

“If I get the vibe off some people – not within our party but around – that this is a development tour, it is under the radar. No it is not. It is England versus Argentina.

“We have won two Test matches on the trot and we want to make that three the next time we play.

“There are spaces there that need to be filled. There will be some guys who obviously want to push into the senior group.

“Lewis Moody has been injured all year and he is now fit and there are a few others in that category as well.”

Johnson explained no decision had yet been made whether Danny Cipriani will tour with England or undergo the operation he needs to have a four-inch pin removed from his ankle.