Van Poortvliet out of World Cup as Mitchell comes in for England August 14, 2023 England will be without one of their key players in next month’s Rugby World Cup as scrum-half Jack van Poortvliet suffered an injury to his ankle in Saturday’s 19-17 win over Wales at Twickenham. The Leicester Tigers No9 was aided off the field and will undergo surgery. He has been replaced by Northampton Saints scrum-half [...]
Owen Farrell is the only world class player in England’s Rugby World Cup squad August 11, 2023 Let’s address the fact staring us in the face that there’s only one current world class player in the England World Cup squad named by Steve Borthwick on Monday. The 33-man squad is largely experienced and capable, but it’s not a side I see lifting the William Webb Ellis Trophy come the end of autumn. [...]
Industries tops front of shirt list despite no Premier League deal August 9, 2023 Industries have overtaken consumer services as the chief sector for front of shirt sponsors in England’s top sports with automotive brands facing a new-found slump, according to new research released today. Of the 225 clubs assessed – across men’s and women’s football, rugby union, rugby league and cricket – just under 15 per cent, or [...]
Rugby World Cup: Steve Borthwick’s England squad verdict August 7, 2023 And there we have it, England’s squad for next month’s Rugby World Cup in France. It has been named much earlier than any other northern hemisphere nation but it’s done and dusted, and it’s on head coach Steve Borthwick and England to make it work across the channel. It is a mixed squad; experience against [...]
Who’s in England’s Rugby World Cup squad? August 7, 2023 England head coach Steve Borthwick named his 33-man Rugby World Cup this morning ahead of next month’s showpiece event. The former Leicester Tiger has been trimming his squad over the last two months and has made a number of eyebrow raising decisions as he looks to turn an England side he inherited last December into [...]
Slade set to be left out of Borthwick’s England Rugby World Cup squad August 6, 2023 England centre Henry Slade is set to be left out of Steve Borthwick’s World Cup squad, which will be named at 10am tomorrow morning. The shock omission comes as England head coach Borthwick chooses to name his squad a month out from this autumn’s tournament, taking place in France next month. Other players expected to [...]
England were dire, and there’s no World Cup quick fix for Borthwick August 6, 2023 If any one of the 23 who played for England on Saturday in their 20-9 loss to Wales thought they were guaranteed to be one of the names Steve Borthwick lists in his Rugby World Cup squad tomorrow morning, they might want to think again. What unfolded under the roof of the Principality Stadium in [...]
Taking sporting images is an art, but anyone can try August 5, 2023 That irritatingly obnoxious phrase “a picture is worth a thousand words” gets bounded about as if a drunk selfie or edgy picture of the Shard is worth the same interest as Alberto Korda’s snap of Che Guevara or the iconic “Lunch atop a Skyscraper”. Photography is damn hard, and capturing the various moving elements of [...]
‘Borthwick’s England must find French flair and adventure’ August 4, 2023 This is it for England, their World Cup gets real from this weekend. There is no easy fixture against Wales, there’s no friendly against the neighbours from over the Severn Bridge. It always has been, and always will be, war. And with Steve Borthwick set to name his final World Cup squad next Monday – [...]
England face interesting Test as Gatland picks mixed Wales squad August 2, 2023 England will go up against a blend of inexperienced and veteran players on Saturday as they get their Rugby World Cup warm-up schedule underway against Wales in Cardiff. Head coach Warren Gatland named his squad a day earlier than planned and has combined uncapped players with centurions in a 23 containing 672 international Wales caps. [...]