The 2011 tackle clip that came up in this week's England prep
England’s preparations this week for Saturday’s Rugby World Cup opener versus Argentina in Marseille included watching a clip of assistant Richard Wigglesworth getting taken out in the air in 2011 by Felipe Contepomi, the current Pumas assistant.
It was 12 years ago when England – then coached by Martin Johnson – previously opened a World Cup campaign against the Argentinians, a match they narrowly won 13-9 in Dunedin en route to topping Pool B at those finals.
A similar outcome would do very nicely for the English team now coached by Steve Borthwick, as the rookie Test-level head coach has endured a difficult introduction. England have lost five of their last six matches and been defeated in six of the nine games in total with Eddie Jones’ successor at the helm in 2023.
Despite an incredible level of pessimism surrounding them heading to Marseille, Wigglesworth is hoping that what happened three World Cups ago can be a good omen for another positive start. “It was a tight game, I did play in that one,” he said during England’s eve-of-match media briefing at Stade Velodrome.
“Actually showed a clip this week of me getting taken out in the air by their coach Felipe Contepomi. Tight game, Lenny [Ben Youngs] came on and ended up scoring a try that got us over the line. Very very tight and cagey, as these World Cup games tend to be early on.”
England’s build-up to France 2023 has been generally written off as their worst-ever lead into a World Cup, but Wigglesworth doesn’t agree. He instead believes that momentum is with them after what was described as a refreshing week at their Le Touquet-Paris-Plage base camp in the north before they flew south to Marseille on Thursday afternoon.
“The impressive thing about this group is how well they have done in the last couple of weeks, especially now that we have got to France,” enthused Wigglesworth, who is just months into his new coaching role with England after spending six months last season as Leicester’s interim boss after Borthwick left to take over from Jones in December.
“They look like a group that are relishing the chance to get out there and not be too nervous about doing it. Their attitude of how they got stuck into it and how they look at the game is refreshing.
“I don’t know if I am too interested in expectation outside the squad. That has been labelled at us a few times and you have got to understand that this squad is incredibly tight and determined. Whether that is from the outside or within, that has always been there.
“Does the expectation mean Argentina go in as favourites, or what other people say, it makes no difference to us. We are incredibly determined to give the absolute best of us… smile on your face, go out and enjoy it, put your game on the field.
“It is our jobs as coaches to give them some sort of framework that they feel like they can do that to the best of their ability. They have been incredibly impressive, they look like they are excited and ready to go.”
Five England starters – including Test rookie No9 Alex Mitchell – are featuring in their first Rugby World Cup match. What is Wigglesworth’s message to them and to the more experienced campaigners in the line-up? “When you played as long as I did, you always tend to look back on the regrets.
“If there is anything you can impart on them it is that you don’t regret playing, you don’t regret giving it your best and you don’t regret enjoying it. You regret the other stuff when you have held back so we don’t want to hold back.”
England arrived into sweltering conditions in Marseille but unlike Scotland, who must face South Africa at 5:45pm local time on Sunday, Borthwick’s team won’t have it so bad with their 9pm kick-off time the previous evening.
“We have had many a joke about the English weather since we arrived,” quipped Wigglesworth. “It rained when we turned up in Touquet and they blamed the English weather. It is going to be hot and humid but the boys at the start and end of seasons, that is the weather they play in.
“It’s the start of our season, so it will be nothing too different. Yeah, the middle of the days (are hot). Probably pleased it’s a 9pm kick-off.”
Comments on RugbyPass
I’ve actually never heard of the guy (then I don’t watch League as it is boring). But if he is good enough.. then good luck to him. If not, well, he can always return to league.
2 Go to commentsIt is pretty clear that by almost any measure that NZ are a more successful rugby nation than South Africa. Quite aside from the distasteful events during the last RWC final. NZ lead SA in all significant measurements.
37 Go to commentsDickson went to his pocket for a card, saw who it was, changed his mind and spoke at length to TMO. One angle clearly shows Care diving over a Saints player to kill the ball. 1st yellow, reason given for not Red was player was falling backwards. He was only falling backwards after contact with Lawes. Graham try should have stood. Mitchell did not have both hands on the ball, ball went forward from a Saints boot dragging over it. 2 intentional knock-on's. One of which had an overlap on the outside. If Quins are happy to win by intentional foul play, then it does not say much for them. Would appear to be a bad day for Karl Dickson, also for the RFU in appointing a Ref who spent 8 years as a player at one of the clubs.
1 Go to commentsLet’s not forget about Ardie Savea just yet.
4 Go to commentsThe URC and the Euro Championscup can’t run at the same time, basically dilutes both competitions.
1 Go to comments“While Sotutu should start at No.8 for the All Blacks against England, but it’s only in that arena that he can prove just how good he really is.” And that my friends is where simply hasnt shone despite multiple opportunities. Even in this performance you can see what did him in in the test arena..he almost always still runs at the opposition almost ramrod upright making him easier to stop than it should be.
4 Go to commentsShould have been 0-0 and a message from SR CEO to both teams - “don’t worry about turning up next year”.
4 Go to commentsGreat work Owen Franks. A great of this team, scoring his first try for the Crusaders since 2010.He was beaming, justifiably. A fine win, he and the rest did the job up front.
1 Go to commentsDanny Care. Lang in die tand.
1 Go to commentsBig empty stadium does nothing for atmosphere but munster are playing well with solid performance
1 Go to commentsYes, Fiji can win the World Cup! With that belief plus their christian faith🙏 and hard work it is achievable. Great article. Ian Duncan Fiji resident 1981-84
2 Go to commentsInteresting 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.
4 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
4 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.
4 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.
38 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
4 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…
2 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
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