England will play in the first (and obviously second) quarter-final on Sunday. Photo: AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin
England are the undercard for this weekend's World Cup. For a country that has two and a half times more registered rugby players than any other competitor, this is a sobering tally.
But at the quarter-final stage, the exciting tournament split into two levels of competition: one a blockbuster in Paris, the other a fringe show in Marseille. Even Steve Borthwick's fans here on the French Riviera would have to admit that, for the sake of prestige and sheer aesthetic appeal, his players' duel with Fiji promises little more than entertainment ahead of France's festivities against South Africa in the capital.
It is not in the nature of England to tolerate inferior status. When Borthwick was appointed last December, he made an astonishing promise to “make supporters roar and keep them roaring.” What followed 10 months later was more of a quiet murmur of discontent. During a poor showing against Samoa in Lille, this resulted in Owen Farrell being loudly booed. The dynamic between the national team and the paying player has rarely been so tense.
One symptom is the contrast between the prevailing sentiments of fans and the almost North Korean mantras of management. After Samoa, the broad consensus was that Farrell, despite his kick breaking Jonny Wilkinson's points record, was shockingly out of character. Yet Borthwick was extremely calm about his captain having time out to award a penalty, instead falling into sentimental reflections about what a “privilege” it had been to coach him. The camp of England is a kingdom where even reasonable criticism is tantamount to heresy.
Few people have the desire to destroy this team for her sake. When George Ford scored three stunning goals to beat Argentina, hope was renewed. The problem is that it is very difficult to detect any trajectory in the development of relations with England. Although Henry Arundell, at 20, became the second English player ever to score five tries in a World Cup match with his quintet against Chile, he has since been left out of the 23 altogether. And although Ford showed devilish ingenuity to beat the Pumas , he was supplanted in the playoffs by the untouchable Farrell.
The inclusion of Marcus Smith at full-back was hailed as proof of Borthwick's courage. However, by temperament, the head coach is not a man of arrogance. This is evident from his selection of Farrell, Dan Cole, Manu Tuilagi, Jonny May and Elliot Daly. All of them are chosen not so much for their form, but as a tribute to their creativity. Could this be a sustainable strategy? When did any of these five actually make a memorable contribution to England? The team's starting XI against Fiji is broadly reminiscent of the end of Eddie Jones' days. Beyond Smith's move to 15, you struggle to determine where any innovation occurred.
Can Marcus Smith add some groove to England's bubbling attack? Photo: PA Wire/Mike Egerton
You cling to the assurances of Bill Sweeney, the Rugby Football Union's chief executive, that England are «on the cusp of something spectacular.» But then they play, and there is a punishing re-introduction to reality. England fans won't be swayed by grandiose talk when the evidence to back it up is so slim. Not to mention spectacular statements, it is far from certain that this side will send Fiji. The horrors of the first ever defeat by the Pacific Islanders, and the disastrous defensive failure at Twickenham in August, are still fresh in the mind.
It's a stretch to imagine that England could be as crazy a second time around. “That was seven weeks ago and we made some adjustments and tweaks,” defensive coach Kevin Sinfield said. “We have to improve, we have to be better.” They are also forced to show much sharper qualities in attack. Apart from Arundell's fury on the flank, England looked too muddled, predictable and error-prone to inspire optimism about a quick return to their former glory.
However, there is potential for glass-half-full thinking. At the very least, England's World Cup campaign shows clear parallels with 2007. It was here in Marseille, 16 years ago, in the last eight matches, that an equally faltering team finally came to life with victory over Australia. The opposition is less daunting this time around, thanks to the Wallabies' collapse under Jones. But the prize on offer is potentially the same: the mouth-watering prospect of trying to knock France out of their own party in Paris.
Joe Marler is among those talking about England's chances, explaining that he thrives on danger. Jonny May also needs no reminding: this is his last dance and he describes the clash in Fiji as «a massive game for many reasons».
One reason is that England desperately need to show that they can she can be taken seriously again. as a global force. The decline has been precipitous: back in 2019 they beat France by 44 points and now toil gloomily in the shadow of their magnificent hosts. Expecting this drift to be corrected in one game would be too much. But this team at least owes its long-suffering students a place in the second division of Test rugby.
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