England legend Brian Moore believes Steve Borthwick’s job will be under threat if he doesn’t start getting a tune out of his squad.
The former hooker believes It is time for some brutal honesty between players and coaches ahead of the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
“I know that modern sport psychology stresses positivity, but there are times when hard words are appropriate,’ wrote Moore in his column for The Telegraph.
“England’s present plight is so bad that if they do not turn things round in France even Borthwick’s position will be on the line. If we could see incremental and solid steps towards a decent team this would not be an issue. When we appear to have England actually regressing under the current regime, those sorts of question must be asked.
“I have said this many times before, but I strongly believe that the England management team should include either a southern hemisphere coach or one who has considerable experience of coaching in the southern hemisphere.
“A view coming from the traditionally strongest region of world rugby would not only give a different perspective; it might also challenge the status quo. The England Roses have been fortunate to secure the services of John Mitchell, and he might just get a knock on the door if England bomb in next two months.
“What England now need is brutal honesty and maturity. It is time for fewer fist-pumps and high fives and more finger-pointing, even if it is figurative and done privately.”
“France opener” – England get tough group in revised Rugby World Cup draw
f the draw for the Rugby World Cup were conducted at this moment, England would find themselves in the challenging position of squaring off against France in the inaugural match of the tournament.
The evident disparity highlighted by the most recent World Rugby Rankings underscores the perplexing nature of the Pool Draw. The fact that these pools are determined a full three years prior to the actual tournament, set to kick off in September, appears remarkably skewed and imbalanced.
World Rugby has already confirmed they will hold the pool draws for future Rugby World Cups at a later date, closer to the kick-off of upcoming tournaments.
POOL A actual draw:
- New Zealand (4)
- France (3)
- Italy (13)
- Uruguay (17)
- Namibia (21)
POOL A up to date draw
- South Africa (2)
- Fiji (7)
- Japan (14)
- Uruguay (17)
- Namibia (21)