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England change 14, revive their 10/12/13 2019 World Cup combination
England boss Steve Borthwick has retained just a single starter – skipper Owen Farrell – from the Rugby World Cup win over Chile for this Saturday’s Pool D finale versus Samoa in Lille.
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The English were runaway 71-0 winners last time out on September 23, with the head coach using that fixture as his opportunity to blood the seven players from his squad of 33 that hadn’t featured in either of the opening two wins over Argentina and Japan. That included the return of skipper Farrell after his four-game suspension.
With England since declared pool winners and set to play an October 15 quarter-final in Marseille against most likely Fiji, Borthwick has shaken up selection, handing a recall to Tom Curry – who is now over his own two-game red card ban – and only sticking with Farrell from the XV versus the Chileans.
Even at that, Farrell, who needs just two points to become England’s all-time leading points scorer ahead of Jonny Wilkinson’s tally of 1,179, will wear a different shirt on this occasion, slotting into the No12 jersey.
With George Ford chosen at out-half and Manu Tuilagi at outside centre, the selection is a revival of the 10/12/13 combination that took England all the way to the Rugby World Cup final in 2019 when Borthwick was assistant coach to Eddie Jones in Japan.
There is no place in the match day 23 for Henry Arundell, despite his five tries versus Chile, while Marcus Smith, the starting full-back the last day, has to settle for a place on the bench.
Freddie Steward is the chosen No15, with Joe Marchant and Jonny May on the wings. Tuilagi and Farrell form the midfield with Ford partnering Alex Mitchell at half-back.
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In the pack, the front row consists of Ellis Genge, Jamie George and Dan Cole, with Maro Itoje and Ollie Chessum at second row. Courtney Lawes, Curry and Ben Earl are the starting back row with Theo Dan, Joe Marler, Kyle Sinckler, George Martin and Billy Vunipola the five forwards named on the bench.
Smith is one of three backline reserves, along with Danny Care and Ollie Lawrence. Borthwick said: “Whilst we are of course pleased with our results and qualification into the pool stages, we want to continue our improvement with a positive performance against a difficult and in-form Samoa team.
“Samoa are renowned for their physicality and this last game in the pool stages will be an excellent test for us as we continue in our Rugby World Cup journey.
“We are delighted to be heading back to Lille for this weekend’s fixture where we enjoyed seeing so many England supporters for our last match. Once again, we look forward to seeing a sea of white England shirts in the stands of the Stade Pierre-Mauroy on Saturday.”
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England (vs Samoa, Lille: Saturday, 5:45pm local)
15. Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers, 28 caps)
14. Joe Marchant (Stade Francais, 22 caps)
13. Manu Tuilagi (Sale Sharks, 55 caps)
12. Owen Farrell – captain (Saracens, 108 caps)
11. Jonny May (Gloucester Rugby, 75 caps)
10. George Ford – vice-captain (Sale Sharks, 88 caps)
9. Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints, 8 caps)
1. Ellis Genge – vice-captain (Bristol Bears, 54 caps)
2. Jamie George (Saracens, 81 caps)
3. Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers, 103 caps)
4. Maro Itoje (Saracens, 72 caps)
5. Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers, 14 caps)
6. Courtney Lawes – vice-captain (Northampton Saints, 102 caps)
7. Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, 46 caps)
8. Ben Earl (Saracens, 21 caps)
Replacements:
16. Theo Dan (Saracens, 6 caps)
17. Joe Marler (Harlequins, 85 caps)
18. Kyle Sinckler (Bristol Bears, 65 caps)
19. George Martin (Leicester Tigers, 6 caps)
20. Billy Vunipola (Saracens, 72 caps)
21. Danny Care (Harlequins, 92 caps)
22. Marcus Smith (Harlequins, 27 caps)
23. Ollie Lawrence (Bath Rugby, 17 caps)
Comments on RugbyPass
Our best player by far..but not a good Captain..poor tactician cost the AB'S and Canes games by not taking the easy points and going for tries when the lineouts were a shambles..can he read a game? And his throat slitting gesture should disqualify him from the AB Captaincy..it is not the appropriate behaviour of an AB Captain.
15 Go to commentsForget what was said or how many players said it. TONY BROWN IS THE NEW ATTACK COACH. That’s the only story worth freaking out over. The springboks are going to grow their game an awful lot over the next cycle and it’s not just the 19 disgustingly arrogant Irish players who refused to shake Ebens hand and said “see you in the final if you can cheat your way past France” who will find that out first hand.
121 Go to commentsOn one hand I think it's a bit ridiculous that this gar into the season and with only 2 wins the Crusaders may make the finals. On the other hand if it was only top 4 or 5, then that last several weeks may be mainly dead rubbers. Nope, 8th place after round robin shouldn't be able to lift the trophy.
1 Go to commentsI do think the media in NZ treated him badly. Sam is a legend. He is humble, a great rugby mind and leader. What happened in the final could happen to anyone. The margins is so fine these days. I lay blame at the feet of the coaching staff and NZ rugby. The stats tell’s all. The AB’s was the worst disciplined side in the WC with more red and yellow cards than anyone else. Problem is NZ rugby is not training their players to play safer. And thats the danger a fast game brings. More yellow and red cards. But Sam Cane in my eye was and still is a great ambassador for the game, that just had a stroke of bad luck.
2 Go to commentsI hope Jim and co. Add this to their list of icebreaker questions they can ask all their guests going forward. So we can eventually hear what everyone thinks about this subject. “What do you think Ireland meant…”
121 Go to commentsHe’s a dominant personality. That might be both a good and bad thing in team dynamics. Certainly it ruined Smith’s first crack at 10 with Owen at 12. BTW, Bristol flatter to deceive. When things really matter, they tend to deliver less rather than more. Farrell would have been good for them
35 Go to commentsGot a lot of over the top abuse from Crusader fans, in particular, who thought every 7 they had was miles better. Now we will see if anyone is better? Laid his body on the line every game so finishing early makes sense. A lot of life left after rugby.
2 Go to commentsA poor decision to appoint Carley as not only is Pearce a better referee but also importantly speaks French.
2 Go to commentsHe is 100 % on the mark. Malicious arrogance with a lack of respect for the other teams mostly the south. they must learn from True rugby nations like the Boks and Kiwis
121 Go to commentsThis Outiniqua boy has played sublime rugby and deserves a spot in BI LIONS team. Well played son
4 Go to commentsI don’t like to see players miss big matches but this ban looks to be tailored to allow him to compete in the final. In principle a suspension for a very dangerous tackle in a semi should warrant missing the relevant final. Done now. One the flip side having both teams with very strong squads/teams available for the final will add to the occassion hopefully.
1 Go to commentsTalent to burn and a huge engine..hope he gets a shot at higher honours
2 Go to commentsIf anything like his dad he has a bright future, Soane was the best ball carrying props ive ever seen using a combination of pace power and footwork.
1 Go to commentsThose who saw Sharks vs Clermont and Ox N'Che vs Rabah Slimani should have a good idea of the best scrumagers… May be not the best props…
2 Go to commentsIt's been an unusual era of unpopular, highly competitive, domineering, fairly big fly halves in the home nations with Farrell, Sexton and Biggar. Russell is different in personality and player I think. I'd rank Sexton first of the three because he is just as good a game controller but also has a great passing game. And his competitiveness never seems to cause problems with refs.
35 Go to commentsThank goodness he wasn't born in Scotland, he'd have been a great candidate for the Scottish Barbarians. I wouldn't put it past them to push for a “where the player was conceived” rule 😂
2 Go to commentsOwen Farrell is one of the most polarising figures in the game. His entire attitude on the field (and sometimes off of it) smacks of arrogance and he is about as brash as Donald Trump in a political debate. Yet behind that facade is a calculating, determined and powerful leader who drives any team forward with an Iron will. You are right in that he gets better in the heat of battle and in the face of overwhelming odds. He develops a narrow focus and he delivers his best in a way that few others can. He is one of Englands great performers who sacrificed alot for the team and who often bears the weight of responsibility of leadership alone on the field and in front of the media. Despite what many think of him he is a fantastic game manager with a good rugby brain. He will be sorely missed from the international stage
35 Go to commentsAlways proud of the effort, Sam. The All blacks never stop fighting, never just roll over. He didn’t get anywhere near the respect he earned, but that’s due to results, not commitment to the cause. Have fun dominating in Japan!
1 Go to commentsNot sure why Papali’i thinks Scott Robertson needs his help to select the next All Black Captain. In my view, Papali’i would be well advised to have a good hard look at his own game, and to reflect on how fortunate he is to even wear the black jersey. Rather than shouting at his team mates at every set piece, standing in the mid-field pointing and holding his arms out and flopping to the ground at the back of every second or third ruck, may I suggest he would be far better employed actually doing something on the field. Seriously, watch him for 10 minutes during a game - not much happens. When was the last time he was first to a breakdown, or actually made a turnover? If Robertson is half the Coach I think he is, Papali’i will not be anywhere near the AB’s this season.
15 Go to commentsHiding coming up for Saders.
1 Go to comments