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The 'aggressive' reason why Sam Warburton likes the look of England

Chandler Cunningham-South carries for England versus New Zealand (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)

Retired Wales skipper Sam Warburton has explained why England will be among the favourites to win the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia, 24 years after they were crowned champions in Sydney with a 2003 extra time win over the Wallabies. Beaten finalists in 2007 and 2019, the English were eliminated by defending champions South Africa in the semi-finals at the most recent World Cup last October, losing to a last-minute penalty in Paris kicked by Handre Pollard. 

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England were criticised at that tournament for their blunt approach to playing the game, but they have since expanded their armoury and Steve Borthwick’s side were deemed to be unlucky losers in their recent two-Test series tour to New Zealand. Some new and re-energised players led the charge on that tour following a Six Nations that ended with the third place England winning more matches (three) than they lost for the first time since they were last crowned champions in 2020.   

That improvement caught the eye of Warburton, the 2013 and 2017 British and Irish Lions captain, and he has now delivered an optimistic long-term prediction about Borthwick’s refreshed squad. “England will 100 per cent be up there among the favourites for the next World Cup, without a doubt,” reckoned the Canterbury ambassador. “Watching their games in both tests against New Zealand, they just had some tough calls from the referee so they are only an interpretation away from two very good results. 

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Rassie Erasmus on Sam Warburton’s claims that Ireland are the best team in the world

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      Rassie Erasmus on Sam Warburton’s claims that Ireland are the best team in the world

      Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus says he didn’t pay too much attention to Sam Warburton’s comments about Ireland being the best team in the World.

      “The players they have got: In international rugby, you need big, skillful athletes and they have got so many skillful, aggressive athletes. (George) Martin has been a revelation. He had always shown promise in the earlier stages of his career but since the World Cup, he has been world class in that second row with Maro Itoje. 

      “With (Chandler) Cunningham-South, I always wanted him to start in the Six Nations and he has now been starting. England have got a serious team to challenge in the World Cup. They will be a lot better next year and they will be competing for the Six Nations.”

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      Warburton also labelled Marcus Smith as the business following his return to the No10 England shirt on the recent tour in the absence of the injured George Ford. Smith had been Eddie Jones’ first choice out-half until his December 2022 sacking, but he had been tried out at full-back under Borthwick who preferred Owen Farrell and Ford as his World Cup out-half starters. 

      With Farrell having since stepped away from the international scene, Ford was Borthwick’s choice for the 2024 Six Nations but his decision not to tour opened up the position again to Smith who travelled with his namesake Fin Smith as the bench cover.

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      “What England fans will be delighted with Marcus Smith is that at times he has played and it has not been the same player we have seen for Harlequins,” said Warburton. “We saw in both games (against New Zealand) lots of Marcus Smith that we see at the Quins. Crossfield kicks, ball in hand. Defensively, he is so much stronger than he was a few years ago. 

      “Marcus Smith is the business and he is going to be England’s fly-half and they have got a great problem with him and Fin Smith. I say problem; it is not a problem because it’s what coaches dream of but they will need to be competing for the same shirt because I don’t think they will fit in the same team.”

      • Canterbury ambassador Sam Warburton was speaking as the heritage rugby brand release their new boot collection, the Stampede. Click here to view the collection

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      fl 8 minutes ago
      Why Les Kiss and Stuart Lancaster can lead Australia to glory

      “A succession of recent ex-players going straight back into the game as coaches in their early 40’s would prob be enough to kill it stone-dead. Innovation would die a death.”

      Would it? I do think one of the major differences between rugby and most other sports - which we’ve been overlooking - is the degree to which players are expected to lead team meetings & analysis sessions and the like. Someone like Owen Farrell has basically been an assistant coach already for ten years - and he’s been so under a variety of different head coaches with different expectations and playing styles.


      “The most interesting ppl I have met in the game have all coached well into their sixties and they value the time and opportunity they have had to reflect and therefore innovate in the game. That’s based on their ability to compare and contrast between multiple eras.”

      I don’t doubt that that’s true. But having interesting insights doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be the best able to inspire a team, or the best at managing the backroom staff.


      “Wayne Smith winning the WWC in his mid sixties three years ago prob means nothing to you but it meant a lot to him. It took him back to the roots of is own coaching journey.”

      I don’t doubt that! But I don’t think coaches should be hired on the basis that it means a lot to them.


      “The likes of Carlo Ancelotti and Wayne Bennett and Andy Reid all have a tale to tell. You should open your ears and listen to it!”

      I agree! Never have I ever suggested otherwise!

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      J
      JW 4 hours ago
      French bid to poach 109kg 17-year-old dual-code Aussie prospect Heinz Lemoto

      Yes that’s what WR needs to look at. Football had the same problem with european powerhouses getting all the latin talent then you’re gaurenteed to get the odd late bloomer (21/22 etc, all the best footballers can play for the country much younger to get locked) star changing his allegiance.


      They used youth rep selection for locking national elifibilty at one point etc. Then later only counted residency after the age of 18 (make clubs/nations like in this case wait even longer).


      That’s what I’m talking about, not changing allegiance in rugby (were it can only be captured by the senior side), where it is still the senior side. Oh yeah, good point about CJ, so in most cases we probably want kids to be able to switch allegiance, were say someone like Lemoto could rep Tonga (if he wasn’t so good) but still play for Australia’s seniors, while in someone like Kite’s (the last aussie kid to go to France) case he’ll be French qualified via 5 years residency at the age of 21, so France to lock him up before Aussie even get a chance to select him. But if we use footballs regulations, who I’m suggesting WR need to get their a into g replicating, he would only start his 5 years once he turns 18 or whatever, meaning 23 yo is as soon as anyone can switch, and when if they’re good enough teams like NZ and Aus can select them (France don’t give a f, they select anybody just to lock them).

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      JW 4 hours ago
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      The only benefit of the draft idea is league competitiveness. There would be absolutely no commercial value in a draft with rugby’s current interest levels.


      I wonder what came first in america? I’m assuming it’s commercial aspect just built overtime and was a side effect essentially.


      But the idea is not without merit as a goal. The first step towards being able to implement a draft being be creating it’s source of draftees. Where would you have the players come from? NFL uses college, and players of an age around 22 are generally able to step straight into the NFL. Baseball uses School and kids (obviously nowhere near pro level being 3/4 years younger) are sent to minor league clubs for a few years, the equivalent of the Super Rugby academies. I don’t think the latter is possible legally, and probably the most unethical and pointless, so do we create a University scene that builds on and up from the School scene? There is a lot of merit in that and it would tie in much better with our future partners in Japan and America.


      Can we used the club scene and dispose of the Super Rugby academies? The benefit of this is that players have no association to their Super side, ie theyre not being drafted elshwere after spending time as a Blues or Chiefs player etc, it removes the negative of investing in a player just to benefit another club. The disadvantage of course is that now the players have nowhere near the quality of coaching and each countries U20s results will suffer (supposedly).


      Or are we just doing something really dirty and making a rule that the only players under the age of 22 (that can sign a pro contract..) that a Super side can contract are those that come from the draft? Any player wanting to upgrade from an academy to full contract has to opt into the draft?

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      Joy B 6 hours ago
      Sempéré salue ces joueurs qui préfèrent jouer plutôt que prendre des vacances

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