This could well be the final World Cup game for many England players. Photo: Reuters/John Sibley
One wonders if Netflix basketball series The Last Dance is on England's playlist this week.
For many members of Steve Borthwick's squad, this is a defining moment in their careers England before the quarter-finals of the World Cup. against Fiji.
For at least 10 members of his 23-man squad named today, this will be almost their final World Cup campaign — and some of that number are unlikely to be used when Borthwick revamps his squad for the start of the Six Nations campaign.
< p>Matt Dawson, the England midfielder who won the 2003 World Cup, recently said that memories are created by winning tournaments, not by the journey itself.
And the question this group should ask Ask yourself: wants will it be remembered as the team that lost to Fiji in the quarter-finals? It's now or never.
Dawson's dominant class of 2003 struggled through the pool stages and had a long run against Wales in the quarter-finals, but found a way to win at every obstacle.
This is a team loaded with players. who have won trophies at the top of the club game, and eight starting XV players who played in the 2019 World Cup final.
This is also an experienced XV. Even Marcus Smith, whose selection at full-back is a bold decision by Borthwick, has 28 caps to his name and a starting XV total of 864 caps. The decision to leave Freddie Steward out of the 23-man squad shows that Borthwick is not afraid to play hardball. calls.
The England team is experienced. Photo: PA/David Davies
Steward has only ever played at full-back for the last two seasons, but Smith has made his way into the team thanks to his determination, dogged mentality and ability to translate his attacking skills from a midfield position into the full-back role.
The manager's time will come again. The same cannot be said about Johnny May, Manu Tuilagi, Elliot Daly, Jamie George, Dan Cole, Joe Marler, Billy Vunipola and Danny Care. At 32 and 30 respectively, this could be the final World Cup campaign for Owen Farrell and George Ford, who have to settle for a place on the bench so the captain can switch to midfield.
Those feelings are not lost on the 33- summer Marler, who will win his 87th game from the bench on Sunday.
“I think I took it for granted before,” said Harlequins mainstay Marler. “Knowing that this is the last time I will have the opportunity to play in the quarter-finals of the World Cup, to put on this shirt is a special feeling. I am very proud, honored and privileged to have this chance. I'm just trying to make the best of it while I can because I know it won't be there in a couple of weeks. I really enjoy every moment.
“There's definitely a small… well, quite a big… there's definitely a group of us who know this is our last campaign, our last chance together.
“We've been together for a few years now and we've built friendships and bonds. We want to give it our all and finish on a high level. But it's also collective, like 33-year-olds. We will no longer be together as 33 year olds. Whether it's the young guys or the guys who are going to take this team forward over the next five or six years, we know. that we will be the same 33. Everyone believes.
This will be Joe Marler's third and final World Championship. Photo: PA/Mike Egerton
“The guys who are not participating have been incredible, just like they were in 2019. The 31-man team that we talked about, the guys who didn't get drafted are just as important as the ones who got drafted. You need them to maintain standards during the week and to give you decent competition to prepare you for the weekend. We all win together, and we all understand this very well. But some of us will definitely not play for England again after this tournament.
“It's definitely a big factor for us. People like Ben Youngs, Courtney Laws, Danny Care, Coley — guys who have been together since they were 16, 17 years old. We have strong connections that motivate us and encourage us to make that last memory special. But in reality it has always been like this, because you never know when your last game will be. You must make the most of your opportunities.”
At this stage of the tournament, mindset has the biggest impact. England are a good enough team to beat Fiji. They learned from a humiliating defeat at Twickenham in August, when a switch from a running game to a kicking game due to deteriorating weather appeared to work to Fiji's advantage.
It is a tough test for Ford, who has been England's standout player in the early rounds, but the head coach has put all his chips on Farrell since he took over in January. Instead, Borthwick turned to Manu Tuilagi and Joe Marchand to solve England's ongoing midfield dilemma in dealing with the Fijians' physical problem.
This amendment opened the door for Elliot Daly to return to the left flank, giving England another option blow after Ford's omission.
Borthwick's decision to remain largely loyal to the playing group he inherited in January had one important consequence. Often in an older playing group it can be more difficult to motivate a team unless something significant is at stake, as we saw in the lackluster match against Samoa.
Well, everything is at stake on Sunday. Securing a place in the semi-finals would be seen as a fair comeback given the ineffective chaos of the last three seasons.
The players owe Borthwick, the England fans and, more importantly, themselves, a fiercely competitive performance. . The last four beckon. Or for many of them, this will indeed be the last dance.
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