As the dust settled on England’s cataclysmic defeat To Wales in Cardiff, further disappointment came for their fans as head coach Steve Borthwick confirmed that 80-cap Test front-row Mako Vunipola is out of the initial 33-man Rugby World Cup squad which will be announced on Monday.
“At this stage, Mako (Vunipola) is not going to be a fit enough state to be selected this Monday,” Borthwick told Planet Rugby.
Changes bound to happen during World Cup
“I know the 33 will be announced on Monday but we also know that through the tournament changes will happen and that’s something we will always be monitoring.
“There was certainly a precedent set in prior World Cup preparations that where there’s injury, where there’s players with bumps and bruises, is that players from outside the 33 can can be part of it.
“Mako sent us a message this morning, wishing us all the best for the game today. There’s a number of changes that happen to the squad during a World Cup and we’re all well aware those happen.
“The average is one and a half changes per team so we know that’s going to be a factor. What we must do is focus very much on the players we have selected and I’m excited to announce those on Monday.”
On the upside, Borthwick confirmed that Harlequins hooker Jack Walker and Sale flanker Tom Curry are both available for selection, despite a short term concern over Curry’s ankle knock.
With less than 24 hours to go before the final squad is named, England’s head coach was confident that he’d learned enough from his training camps over the last ten weeks to make the right calls.
“All the factors play a role and it’s key that you have to have the full picture of information,” explained Borthwick after the 20-9 loss to Wales. “Today was one part of that picture and the training period over the last few weeks is part of that.
“The way they played last season, they way they have played for England are all factors. The analysis, the information is all part of that but ultimately it comes down to my decision for those tight calls. Those are the ones where you take a walk and have a good think and see how you feel.
🗣️ “The press spend a lot of time within the England camp and sometimes there’s a feel of a mood swing, a change in narrative, a clear conflict of emotion.”
🏴 England’s five urgent fixes which must be done ahead of #RWC2023.
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— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) August 6, 2023
“The plans for the week ahead is that you have to adapt once you get the medical report and a status for where every player is at.
“In terms of the next 36 hours, we will confirm the 33 and then they will come together on Monday morning and start training on Monday afternoon in preparation for next week’s Test. We will have a good look at this game and be clear on the priorities we need to step forward in.
“We have been in camp together with a lot of players for a long period of time but the (Premiership) finalists have only been in camp for four weeks, so I did not select many of those players from that final because I wanted them to have another week of training.
In terms of their availability, with another week of conditioning, then they become more ready for selection.
“When you look at the demands of the tournament, you have to have nine front-row forwards, three in each position. I’ll assess the back-five of the scrum and one of the positives I think we have is the number of players who can play in different positions. Lewis Ludlam can play all across the back-row, Courtney Lawes can play lock and six, and we have players in the backline who can change positions.
“I’ve got a first choice XV, and that team, certainly combinations in that team, will run in these (warm-up) games. There are a couple of niggles – such as Tom Curry’s ankle which will restrict him in the next couple of weeks.
You’ve got to be wary of things that happened today such as the HIA of a player (David Ribbans) and what will happen next week, but yes there is a pretty clear picture,” Borthwick confirmed.”
Opportunity for redemption
With England facing the potential hurdle of a quarter-final against the very same Wales that beat them soundly on Saturday, Borthwick was keen to point out that his team have the opportunity for redemption next weekend against their oldest enemy and his entire focus is on the squad announcement and fixing the issues we saw on Saturday in Cardiff.
“That’s a potential situation (the quarter-final) that’s a number of weeks away, and not in my consideration right now,” he said. “My consideration is the 33 and looking forward to playing Wales at Twickenham next Saturday.
“There’s certainly a lot of competition for places, and you can see with the players we’ve kept in camp, and you can see by the nature of the selection on Saturday which players are in my thinking.”
READ MORE: England back-row sweating on Rugby World Cup squad selection
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