It is a pretty terrible time to be an England player, coach or fan right now. Nothing seems to be going right, and there is now the very real threat of Fiji causing further embarrassment this weekend.
The Red Rose have never lost to the Pacific Islanders, but everything is almost set up for the hosts to succumb to the Flying Fijians.
They have been hit by suspensions to captain Owen Farrell and first choice number eight Billy Vunipola, while Anthony Watson was ruled out of the Rugby World Cup on Thursday. The Farrell saga alone lasted over a week and caused significant disruption to their preparations, so all is not well within the English set-up.
Anger and disappointment has almost turned to apathy for the supporters, who can’t see any improvement from Steve Borthwick’s charges. Results and performances have simply been unacceptable since the last World Cup and many probably think it can’t get any worse. However, a developing Fiji side are coming to town and it very much could.
Simon Raiwalui’s men enjoyed an excellent Pacific Nations Cup campaign, winning all three of their matches with bonus-points, before they tested France in Nantes last weekend.
They have star power in a number of positions but their weakness has always been up front and at half-back. There have been signs that those flaws have started to be ironed out, though, which means that they are in reasonable shape heading to Twickenham.
It may ‘only’ be a World Cup warm-up but a victory at the ‘home of rugby’ would undoubtedly be one of the biggest wins in their history. A lot will need to go right on the field for them to succeed but, considering the state of England at the moment, they could well cause an upset on Saturday.
Where the game will be won
Set-piece and defence. For Fiji, they will have very little hope of winning this clash if their front five malfunctions. If that happens the pressure will ultimately come on the half-backs, England will dominate territory and possession and that will lead to the Pacific Islanders making mistakes in their own half. However, a solid platform will give them a good chance of claiming their first-ever victory over the Red Rose.
Kevin Sinfield is a very well regarded coach but England’s defence has been porous all year and Fiji’s wonderful runners will reckon they can create a few holes in the hosts’ rearguard. It was all too easy for Ireland last weekend while even Wales, who have misfired pretty much throughout 2023, had some joy in both Cardiff and London.
It will also be interesting to see how Borthwick’s men approach this encounter. They will no doubt kick a lot but, by selecting Alex Mitchell at scrum-half, you would hope that the Red Rose will at least try to move the ball quicker. At the moment, England are just painfully boring: slow, methodical but also ineffective, which means that watching paint dry is currently more entertaining. Their supporters will hope that changes.
Last time they met
What they said
England scrum-half Danny Care insists that they are working on their tackling after receiving two red cards in successive matches.
“We are not going out there to try and be ill-disciplined but we have to learn from it,” Care told BBC Sport.
“We are working on our tackle technique every day. We get referees in every day, who are trying to help us out.
“In big games, you need 15 players on the pitch. There will be some [red cards] in the World Cup and we are just hoping they are not ours.”
Fiji boss Raiwalui is under no illusions what England will bring to the clash this weekend.
“It’s another big physical battle and I think they will try and use their pack to the limit. We have been working on ours and I think they will be very tactical with their kicking. It is going to be a different challenge this weekend,” he said.
Semi Radradra and Waisea Nayacalevu team up for the first time in midfield and the head coach is excited to see them in action.
“We have been rotating players and testing combinations so this is the right time to test these two experienced players this weekend,” Raiwalui added.
“They are leaders in the team and also role models to our players and I’m confident that they will form the best combination on the day.”
Players to watch
Quite frankly, pretty much every England player is under the microscope this weekend. Borthwick may say otherwise, and no doubt he has a first choice 23 in his mind, but it feels like no one is safe. One position which has been inked in is at hooker where Jamie George will start, providing he is injury-free.
However, he is not in the 23 this weekend for the first time this month, which gives Theo Dan an opportunity to start. Dan had a pretty abysmal debut in Cardiff but he was much-improved against Ireland, with both his lineout throwing and work in the loose impressing, so the head coach will want more of the same from the Saracens man.
Further back in the scrum is Dan’s Sarries team-mate Ben Earl, who gets a shot a number eight following Vunipola’s suspension. With the gargantuan back-row banned for England’s World Cup opener against Argentina, Borthwick is looking for someone to step in and Earl is probably the most natural replacement. He’s a very different player to Vunipola but his skill set is more suited to the position than Tom Curry or Jack Willis. Only Lewis Ludlam, who is on the bench, will really be challenging for that slot, unless another number eight is brought into the squad.
Earl will need to gel quickly with Alex Mitchell off the base of the scrum. Mitchell was a replacement for the injured Jack van Poortvliet, but you very much get the feeling that he will be third choice scrum-half behind Care and Ben Youngs. England’s style doesn’t really suit the Northampton Saints scrum-half, so it will be interesting to see how the 26-year-old adapts, but he makes things happen when let off the leash.
If Mitchell’s kicking is wayward and the chase from the likes of the returning Jonny May is inaccurate then that will give a dangerous Fiji side opportunities to counter-attack. There are some star names missing from the 23, most notably Josua Tuisova, who appears to be nursing an injury, and Levani Botia, but whoever they pick in the back-row and from 11-15 will be fun to watch.
Radradra is obviously the standout name in the backline having shown himself to be a world-class performer, but there are some lesser known players that could announce themselves to a wider audience this weekend. Wing Selestino Ravutaumada had an excellent season for Fijian Drua in Super Rugby Pacific, while the year before that it was Vinaya Habosi who was starring in that competition.
The question is whether the visitors can win enough ball to get those runners into the game. That starts with the front five, and particularly the scrum, where loosehead prop Eroni Mawi needs to have a big performance. There are fewer concerns in the lineout as that operated well against France and Sam Matavesi is a reliable thrower, but England challenged well on Ireland’s ball in Dublin and the home side will pressurise the Fijian set-piece this weekend.
If they are able to win a steady supply of possession then the pressure falls on the decision-makers, Frank Lomani and Caleb Muntz. For all their talent and skill level, Fiji have struggled to produce top quality half-backs, but there are signs that these two can do what is required to give their side a fighting chance of reaching the World Cup quarter-finals. Lomani is a talented scrum-half, who is good around the fringes and gets the ball away quickly from the base, while New Zealand-born Muntz has been playing pretty well recently.
Main head-to-head
There is one blockbuster clash and that comes at inside centre as two powerhouses, Manu Tuilagi and Semi Radradra, collide. It is a battle of the Pacific Islands as Tuilagi, who was born in Samoa before he moved to England as a 12-year-old, faces off with Fiji’s star player.
Usually an outside centre, Radradra will start his third successive match at 12. There were hopes, certainly from the outside, that he and Tuisova could combine in the midfield, but that has yet to be properly trialled. It does give him less space to operate but, on the flipside, he has been getting his hands on the ball more, especially off first phase.
That is perhaps the thinking behind the coaches’ call and, as a result, Radradra will cause problems for England and their inside centre this weekend. Tuilagi is now 32 and still not quite back to his best, but there have been a few more occasions where he has imposed himself on the gain line. Against Ireland in the Six Nations, he carried very well and there was also the odd moment in last weekend’s encounter. The issue for the Red Rose has been getting him enough ball as they simply kick it away all the time.
Prediction
Ultimately, we think the Red Rose will do enough up front to get the better of the visitors, but there is a very real possibility that Fiji will cause a shock if Borthwick’s men don’t get it right in the set-piece. There is, however, too many concerns over the Fijian front five, as well as their decision-makers, to see them taking this one. England by nine points.
Previous results
2016: England won 58-15 in London
2015: England won 35-11 in London
2012: England won 54-12 in London
1999: England won 45-24 in London
1992: England won 28-12 in Suva
1989: England won 58-23 in London
1988: England won 25-12 in Suva
The teams
England: 15 Freddie Steward, 14 Max Malins, 13 Ollie Lawrence, 12 Manu Tuilagi, 11 Jonny May, 10 George Ford, 9 Alex Mitchell, 8 Ben Earl, 7 Jack Willis, 6 Courtney Lawes (c), 5 Ollie Chessum, 4 Maro Itoje, 3 Dan Cole, 2 Theo Dan, 1 Ellis Genge
Replacements: 16 Jack Walker, 17 Joe Marler, 18 Will Stuart, 19 David Ribbans, 20 Lewis Ludlam, 21 Danny Care, 22 Marcus Smith, 23 Joe Marchant
Fiji: 15 Ilaisa Droasese, 14 Selestino Ravutaumada, 13 Waisea Nayacalevu (c), 12 Semi Radradra, 11 Vinaya Habosi, 10 Caleb Muntz, 9 Frank Lomani, 8 Viliame Mata, 7 Lekima Tagitagivalu, 6 Albert Tuisue, 5 Te Ahiwaru Cirikidaveta, 4 Isoa Nasilasila, 3 Luke Tagi, 2 Sam Matavesi, 1 Eroni Mawi
Replacements: 16 Zuriel Togiatama, 17 Jone Koroiduadua, 18 Samu Tawake, 19 Temo Mayanavanua, 20 Vilive Miramira, 21 Simione Kuruvoli, 22 Teti Tela, 23 Kalaveti Ravouvou
Date: Saturday, August 26
Venue: Twickenham
Kick-off: 15:15 BST (14:15 GMT)
Referee: Jaco Peyper (South Africa)
Assistant Referees: Pierre Brousset (France), Hollie Davidson (Scotland)
TMO: Brian MacNeice (Ireland)
READ MORE: All Blacks v Springboks preview: Fiercest rivals collide at Twickenham
The article England v Fiji preview: A shock on the cards if go-slow hosts fail to dominate up front appeared first on Planetrugby.com.
Article courtesy of
Source link
