England entered this year’s Rugby World Cup with little fanfare. After a disappointing showing in the Six Nations and some embarrassing defeats in their warmup games, many predicted that the team would not escape their pool.
However, gutsy showings against Argentina and Japan, coupled with a demolishing of Chile have all but guaranteed England’s place in the quarter-finals. So, can they actually go all the way?
England’s Rugby World Cup performances so far
England’s opening fixture at the Rugby World Cup was a tough game against Argentina. Entering the contest, some pundits had England as second favourites. England’s task got even tougher pretty much straight from kick-off, as Tom Curry was sent off after only 2 minutes of action.
However, despite playing with 14 men for almost the entirety of the game, the boot of George Ford propelled England to a 27-10 victory (Ford scored all 27 points).
Following this, England faced another stern test against a spirited Japan side that many had predicted would build on their 2019 successes. However, England once again won the game comfortably, emerging 34-12 victors after a strong second half performance.
Following some criticism of their kicking-heavy game plan, England faced minnows Chile. Here they had chance to flex their muscles. During the game they ran in try after try, ultimately winning the game 71-0 and all but securing their place in the quarter-finals.
England’s route to World Cup glory
Although they’re likely to top Pool D, England’s probable route to a Rugby World Cup final would not be straightforward.
At the quarter-final stage, they’ll face the runner-up of Pool C, which is likely to be Fiji (but could still be Georgia). Although Fiji have put in several notable performances during this World Cup, including their 22-15 victory over Australia, England will enter this game as the favourites. That said, Fiji will be highly motivated and physical.
Supposing England make it past Fiji, things will become much tougher for Steve Borthwick’s men. This is because South Africa’s shock defeat against Ireland means they’ll most likely be England’s opponents in the semi-finals (assuming they can make their way past a depleted France in the quarter-final, who could be without star man Antoine Dupont).
England would undoubtedly go into this game as the underdogs; particularly due to South Africa’s powerful scrummaging ability. That said, Ireland have already shown that the mighty Springboks are beatable, and this would be the perfect opportunity for England to gain revenge for their defeat in the 2019 Rugby World Cup final. Should they face France, they will also be underdogs. However, France’s injury list is long and England’s depth may prove to their advantage here.
If England advance, they’ll likely face one of Ireland or New Zealand in the final. Again, England would be big underdogs in this game. But, they may fancy their chances against Ireland, who have never before reached a Rugby World Cup final. Similarly, although the All Blacks are always a formidable foe, this generation of talent is not as dominant as the 2011 and 2015 sides, as they showed in their opening day defeat against France.
The verdict: can England win the Rugby World Cup?
At present, momentum is certainly on England’s side. However, asking them to win a Rugby World Cup from this position is also a tough task. After all, although it’s easy to see England’s route to the semi-final stage, they’d be underdogs in any game against France, New Zealand, South Africa and Ireland.
That said, form, fitness and injuries can all play a role and almost everyone doubted they could make their way past the All Blacks in 2019. So, perhaps 2023 could be their year after all.
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