England 39-10 Argentina: Ford delivers, substitutes make an impact but Vunipola injury a worry October 6, 2019 Argentina promised a war but in the end it proved to be little more than a skirmish. England are through to the quarter-finals of the Rugby World Cup with a third successive win after seeing off the Pumas 39-10 in Tokyo on Saturday. England will be delighted to have their passage into the knockout stages [...]
Ollie Phillips: Argentina are a potential banana skin, but exactly the kind of test England need October 3, 2019 England are in good form and their World Cup has been wholly positive so far, but Saturday’s game against Argentina definitely represents a banana skin. Eddie Jones’s side have enjoyed plain sailing in Pool C, comfortably beating Tonga and the USA, and on paper the No10-ranked team should be no different. However, they haven’t been [...]
England v Argentina preview: Forward-thinking but one-dimensional Pumas pose set piece threat October 2, 2019 The stage is set and England know exactly what to expect from Argentina in Tokyo on Saturday. The significance for the Pumas is clear. They need to do what they haven’t done in the last nine meetings and 10 years: beat England. Do that and their narrow opening 23-21 World Cup defeat by France might [...]
Australia 25-29 Wales: Gatland’s side dig deep to hold onto “massive” win and determine their own World Cup pathway September 29, 2019 As a head coach in a long tournament it is down to you to keep your players focused on what’s in front. Wins are enjoyed, of course, but they should always be followed by assertions that more tests await. After Wales’s hard-fought Rugby World Cup win over Australia, Warren Gatland followed the ascribed path of [...]
England 45-7 United States: George Ford stars as Red Rose click into gear in Kobe heat September 26, 2019 After their meek opener against Tonga, today’s World Cup game with the USA was an opportunity for all of England’s players, but none more so than George Ford. Named captain by Eddie Jones, the Leicester Tigers fly-half was handed responsibility for leading the side, directing traffic and implementing tactics. He grabbed the chance with both [...]
Rugby World Cup notes: Australia’s Reece Hodge hit with ban while USA eye England upset September 25, 2019 Australia wing Reece Hodge will miss the remainder of his country’s pool games after receiving a three-game ban for his no-arm tackle on Peceli Yato in their win over Fiji. The dangerous challenge went unpunished at the time but was deemed worthy of a red card retrospectively. It means Hodge will not be involved in [...]
England’s game against USA is a chance for fringe players to impress September 25, 2019 The fact Eddie Jones can make 10 changes to his starting XV to face the USA and still put out a team full of quality players speaks volumes for England’s squad depth. It is a side filled with international experience despite the changes and Dan Cole will come in to earn his 91st cap, tying [...]
USA hoping to make England sweat in humid encounter as number of familiar faces line up against Eddie Jones’s side September 25, 2019 England may be looking to use Thursday’s match with the USA to rotate players but for the Americans, this will be their opening match at the Rugby World Cup and a rare opportunity to test themselves against the very best. Ranked 13th in the world, a good performance from the Eagles in Japan is seen [...]
Opportunity knocks for Saracens back-row duo Andy Christie and Sean Reffell with stars away at Rugby World Cup September 24, 2019 While the eyes of the rugby world are on Japan, the new domestic season has quietly begun back here in England. The Premiership Rugby Cup, brought forward due to the World Cup and the resulting delayed start of the Premiership, got underway last weekend. And while the usual stars of the domestic stage are halfway [...]
England kick way to Tonga win in World Cup opener but errors suggest work to be done still September 22, 2019 If there was any doubt as to why England leant heavily on their kicking game on Sunday, it quickly became apparent from the physical might that Tonga provided in their Rugby World Cup opener in Japan. Early on in England’s victory, while the scores were still level, Tonga flanker Zane Kapeli collided with Billy Vunipola [...]