Billy Vunipola facing decisive moment for quarterfinal availability
Billy Vunipola faces the most important training session of his career on Wednesday as he attempts to prove his fitness for England’s World Cup quarter-final against Australia.
Vunipola is rated “very likely” to be available for the Oita Stadium showdown on Saturday as he recovers from the ankle injury sustained against Argentina.
England will be desperate to field their bulldozing number eight as they bid to complete a seventh successive victory over Australia under Eddie Jones but only have one full practice session left before the team is announced.
Vunipola was rated doubtful for the last-eight clash but on Tuesday completed running, cycling, wrestling and boxing drills as his recovery took another significant step forward.
“Billy is progressing really well. He’s running well,” defence coach John Mitchell said.
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“We are very confident in his progression each day. He’s very likely (to be available). I am very positive about that.”
If Vunipola passes the necessary checks then England are likely to name the same starting XV that routed Argentina 39-10 at Tokyo Stadium to secure passage into the knockout phase.
Tom Curry and Mark Wilson are on standby to deputise at number eight if the Australia collision has arrived a week too early, and there is set to be a change on the bench, where Jack Nowell appears to have lost his battle with injury.
Having recovered from ankle surgery and the removal of his appendix, Nowell’s comeback against the Pumas came at the cost of a hamstring issue that has restricted his training, so Jonathan Joseph is poised to come in.
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It is Vunipola’s health that is England’s chief concern, however, even if the 26-year-old’s own assessment of his form before twisting his ankle against Argentina was that “I haven’t been playing the best I could be in the last two games”.
“Billy’s going well but like any player he wants to play better,” Mitchell said.
“He’s having to make a couple of little adjustments to his game because players start to read you in terms of what you do. That’s really good awareness from him, to make those adjustments.
“He loves the ball in his hand and his experience is also really good to have amongst the rest of the back-row group.
“He carries a bit more experience than the others and his willingness to share and care for them has also been really impressive. He’s a guy who is really consistent, but knowing him, he will want to play better.
John Mitchell's last visit to the @rugbyworldcup knockout phase ended with a @wallabies ambush that cut short his @AllBlacks coaching career. #RWC2019 #ENGvAUS https://t.co/ieILJeHRwJ
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 15, 2019
“I think Billy’s at a very optimal body weight and skin folds. In the last campaign (Six Nations), his weight was too extreme, whereas at the moment he’s at an optimal stage.
“He did very well during the build-up but we’ve tried to keep him at his right body weight, rather than a weight which is manufactured and unnatural for him. If he loses too much weight, it’s not ideal for him.
“Because he’s been on restricted training activity, in terms of dealing with the injury, he’s chomping at the bit to get out there in training and get the ball in his hands.”
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Joe Marler has recovered from the back injury he sustained in the bonus-point win against Argentina and is likely to keep Mako Vunipola out of the starting XV for another week.
“I did the injury when I attempted to sprint, which is not like me, and I got a little tweak. That is not a lie or attempt to be funny,” Marler said.
“What I often do is just concentrate on pushing and then plodding. But when a scrum-half tried to make a break, even though we were 25 points up, I decided to try and chase him down.
“Ridiculous and it’s not going to happen again. I’ll stick with plodding.”
The match has been on the cards for a while now – who will emerge victorious?:
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Interesting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
2 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
2 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
2 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
37 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
2 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
1 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
5 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
33 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
4 Go to comments