LONDON : Unless England coach Steve Borthwick, the most pragmatic man in rugby, has somehow spent the summer developing a set of top-secret plays and radical tactics that he will unveil in France, his team go into the World Cup in the most desperate state.For years under Eddie Jones and, since December, B
LONDON : Unless England coach Steve Borthwick, the most pragmatic man in rugby, has somehow spent the summer developing a set of top-secret plays and radical tactics that he will unveil in France, his team go into the World Cup in the most desperate state.
With memories of four years ago, when England ripped through New Zealand at that stage with a performance of the ages, hopeful fans were talking about"one-offs" and"on their days" and a real possibility of a return to the final. Saturday's first-ever defeat by Fiji, when they somehow missed 27 tackles, made it five defeats in their last six.
Supporters could just about accept a series of kicks for the corner if it was producing catch and drive tries but England do not seem able to master even that, once formidable, aspect of their game. They rank worst in the world's top 10 for points per visit to the 22, second-worst for line breaks but top the table for average metres from kicks, which they have combined by being the worst for turnovers conceded.
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