England stars cool off in the Atlantic as preparations for South Africa heat up... but why is Kyle Sinckler the only one wearing Budgy Smugglers?

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They'll be hoping to make a splash this autumn when South Africa and Australia visit Twickenham but for now a dip in the Atlantic will have to do for England's rugby stars.

Eddie Jones' men are in the middle of preparations for their first autumn international clash - against the Springboks on November 12 - and have spent the past few days at a warm-weather training camp in Portugal.

With temperatures topping 23C in Vilamoura on Wednesday, and Jones known to be a ruthless task-master on the training pitch, it was little surprise when the England squad opted to cool off in the sea at the first opportunity during a recovery session.

Kyle Sinckler sports a pair of rainbow Budgy Smugglers while (left to right) Josh Beaumont, Tommy Taylor, Mike Haley and Chris Robshaw accompany him on the walk up the beach

Sinckler is part of the England squad which is being put through its paces in Vilamoura

Left to right: Robshaw, Billy Vunipola, Sinckler and Tom Wood wander up Praia da Felesia

As you would expect from a top international sports team, the players were decked out in matching, branded swim shorts as they wandered down Praia da Felesia towards the water.

With one exception.

While his team-mates wandered down the beach in their custom-issue clobber, Kyle Sinckler sported a pair of garishly bright Budgy Smugglers.

The Harlequins tighthead stuck out in his skintight, rainbow-coloured number - but was his outfit the result of some ill-considered wager?

Or had Sinckler made the schoolboy mistake of forgetting his shorts and having to dive into the lost property basket at the last moment?

Left to right: Taylor, Sinckler, Beaumont, Haley and Robshaw on their way to the Atlantic

Robshaw, Vunipola and Wood pictured in conversation in the sea on Wednesday

A tweet from Sam Twomey in April suggests Sinckler has a fondness for the swimwear

In fact, sources around the camp have suggested it was all in the name of comfort and fashion, with the prop opting for the Budgy Smugglers - a brand similar to Speedo whose swimwear costs between £15 and £45 - in preference to the uniformed shorts.

And a tweet from his Quins team-mate Sam Twomey from April, in which he reveals the Aviva Premiership side's players bulk-ordered from the Aussie company, suggests that may indeed be the case.

Whether the 23-year-old can convince his England colleagues to follow suit remains to be seen.

Former England captain Robshaw stands up among the waves during the recovery session

Haley, Vunipola and Beaumont are involved in preparations for the autumn internationals

Among those pictured with Sinckler on Wednesday was Tom Wood - the recalled Northampton flanker who will be looking to add to his 42 caps against the Springboks next week.

Wood is confident England will provide a stern test for their southern hemisphere guests. 

'We were a point or two shy a couple of years back against South Africa and we've had some real nail biting and tough games against them,' he said.

'I've never felt like they have just been too good for us, it's about the fine margins on the day and we're well capable of reversing that if we get things right.'

Vunipola hangs a towel around his neck as he strolls towards the Atlantic