England Rugby News
Tuilagi free to switch allegiances for 2027 World Cup
Marchant available for England after signing for Sale
Manu Tuilagi has refused to rule out playing for Samoa at the 2027 Rugby World Cup, leaving open the possibility of him facing Steve Borthwick’s England in Australia.
The 34-year-old, who spearheaded the Red Rose midfield for more than a decade, would qualify for the Pacific Island nation in 2027 under eligibility rules introduced four years ago.
Continue reading...Head coach’s current deal runs until 2027
RFU annual report shows net loss of £1.9m
The Rugby Football Union has no plans to begin talks with Steve Borthwick over extending his contract beyond 2027 “for the foreseeable future” despite England’s 11-match winning streak and autumn clean sweep.
Borthwick’s contract runs until the end of 2027 but with England halfway through the current World Cup cycle and currently third in the world rankings, the RFU chief executive, Bill Sweeney, has no immediate intention of discussing an extension in a sea change from the union’s previous approach.
Continue reading...After 11 successive victories, England will go into next year’s Six Nations as the team to beat
A Six Nations grand slam, plus Nations Championship victories against South Africa and Fiji and England would head to Argentina next July having equalled their record run of 18 wins, in pursuit of a ground-breaking No 19. Sounds simple put like that, but there’s more chance of Steve Borthwick busting his best moves in England’s next viral TikTok video than him entertaining any thought of record runs.
That is not to criticise, because even though Borthwick is allergic to looking too far ahead, doing so would be to get drastically carried away. The point here is that the more England keep winning, and they will enter the Six Nations next year as the team to beat after 11 on the trot, the more expectation increases.
Continue reading...Max Ojomoh scored one try and and set up two more as England held off a late comeback from Argentina.
This is Argentina’s third and final game of the autumn.
They spanked Wales by a record score and, as we’ve said multiple times, did the business as they came from behind to stun Scotland.
Wales 26-52 New Zealand
Ireland 13-24 South Africa
France 48-33 Australia
Italy 34-19 Chile
Continue reading...Defeat of Argentina in 2000 was important stepping stone for Clive Woodward’s side on way to winning ultimate prize
It is exactly 25 years since the most fraught pre-match buildup in the history of English international rugby union. In this same week in November 2000 a pay row led to the entire national side walking out on strike, prompting Clive Woodward to threaten that an alternative team of lower-league amateurs would be chosen if his players did not return to training by 11am the following morning.
After a tense standoff they duly did so, a grudging truce was agreed and the weekend game against Argentina went ahead with England winning 19-0. Three years later all but two of that matchday squad (the exceptions were David Flatman and Matt Perry) were lifting the Rugby World Cup in Australia. The moral of the “strike” story? The darkest hour can be the springboard to a spectacular golden dawn.
Continue reading...Bath centre replaces Fraser Dingwall
Itoje: ‘He has a bit of a swagger the way he plays’
Max Ojomoh has been backed to bring his swagger to England’s pursuit of an autumn internationals clean sweep after he was a late call-up following more disruption to Steve Borthwick’s side. Ojomoh has been thrust into the No 12 jersey for a first Twickenham start in place of the injured Fraser Dingwall but Maro Itoje believes the Bath centre will flourish against Argentina.
Dingwall’s withdrawal with a side strain sustained last weekend is further upheaval for Borthwick, who has already lost Ollie Lawrence, Jamie George and Tom Roebuck since the 33-19 triumph over the All Blacks. With Tommy Freeman and Ollie Chessum also injury casualties of the autumn, Borthwick’s ranks have been depleted but Ojomoh has been in fine fettle for Bath this season and impressed on his debut against the USA last summer.
Continue reading...The Springboks are the standard-bearers in world rugby and will look to underline that position with a first win in Dublin in the Rassie Erasmus era
Be careful what you wish for. That would be my message to England supporters getting a little bit ahead of themselves and wishing that South Africa were due at Twickenham on Sunday. By all means get a little carried away – that’s the beauty of following a team on a winning run and it’s a demonstration of the confidence surrounding this England team at the moment – but the Springboks can wait until next summer.
South Africa remain the standard-bearers in world rugby. They are perfectly placed to achieve their goal of finishing the year as the No 1 team in the world and, given South Africa have never won in Dublin under Rassie Erasmus, there will be plenty of motivation to create another slice of history against Ireland on Saturday. The question is, have England closed the gap this autumn? And if so, by how much.
Continue reading...Beating the All Blacks shows how far Steve Borthwick’s men have come – but there remains yet more room for improvement
After finally scaling Mount Everest with Tenzing Norgay on 29 May 1953 the first person Edmund Hillary encountered on his descent was his longtime climbing friend, George Lowe. “Well, George,” Hillary said, “we knocked the bastard off.” Which is basically how England’s captain, Maro Itoje, and his team felt on Saturday having lifted the Hillary Shield, named in honour of the indomitable New Zealander who conquered the world’s most famous summit.
English rugby’s ultimate Everest is still up ahead of them, of course, in the form of the 2027 World Cup, but this was their South Col moment. And while a first home win against the All Blacks since 2012 and their second‑highest margin of victory in this 120-year-old fixture will both be sources of satisfaction there was also a powerful sense that their upwardly mobile trek is far from complete.
Continue reading...George Ford inspired England to their first win over the All Blacks in six years
Beauden Barrett sends the ball into England territory and we’re underway.
We’ve had the anthems and now it’s Haka time. England let slip that they have a very special response planned…
Continue reading...Maro Itoje and company have talked the talk and are hungry to follow through with a first win at home over New Zealand since 2012
For better or worse it has been lashing down in south-west London. Good news for restocking the reservoirs but rather less so for dry-ball rugby. Had England played New Zealand 24 hours earlier it would have resembled a game of outdoor water polo and, although the matchday forecast is less biblical, a decidedly damp, grey afternoon awaits.
Is it some kind of celestial clue that England’s on-field drought against the All Blacks might be about to break? It is now 13 years since the last men’s victory over New Zealand at what was once called Twickenham, so long ago that Maro Itoje was still at school. Troublemaker by Olly Murs (featuring Flo Rida) topped the UK charts and the nation was basking in a warm, fuzzy post-London Olympics glow that was supposed to last indefinitely.
Continue reading...England’s 2012 Twickenham win frequently referenced
Jamie George: ‘Why can’t we be next team talked about?’
Maro Itoje’s England have been urged to cement their place in sporting legend by becoming only the nation’s ninth ever side to defeat the All Blacks.
England head into Saturday’s crunch clash as marginal favourites, with meaning a first Twickenham win over New Zealand for 13 years, and George Ford has revealed that the former captain Jamie George has issued a call to arms, imploring his teammates to carve themselves a slice of history.
Continue reading...Borthwick’s side chasing 10th straight victory
‘The quality of the playing squad has improved’
England have endured plenty of agonising near misses against New Zealand in recent years but there is no shortage of belief this time around.
The home captain, Maro Itoje, says he believes his side are “ready” to secure a first victory over the All Blacks since 2019 and suggests they now have the rising confidence and mental clarity to extend their winning run to 10 games.
Continue reading...Barrett missed win against Scotland due to cut
Scott Robertson preparing for aerial contest
Scott Barrett has come back to captain the All Blacks against England at Twickenham this weekend
Barrett had 12 stitches threaded in his leg after he suffered a cut beneath his knee playing against Ireland a fortnight ago, and missed his team’s 25-17 victory against Scotland at Murrayfield last week, but Scott Robertson, the New Zealand head coach, confirmed that he had played a full part in training and will be ready for the England game.
Continue reading...Tennis star visits training camp to share experiences
Steve Borthwick’s side take on New Zealand on Saturday
England’s preparations for their clash with the All Blacks on Saturday have been boosted by some words of wisdom from the former US Open tennis champion Emma Raducanu, who visited their Bagshot training base on Tuesday.
Raducanu took to the training field with Steve Borthwick’s squad, taking part in lineout practice and kicking drills with Marcus Smith before sharing insights with the captain, Maro Itoje. Borthwick also invited the Brighton manager, Fabian Hürzeler, to address the squad this week.
Continue reading...‘We need a clear gameplan to put them under pressure’
All Blacks have not lost at Twickenham for 13 years
Jamie George has warned that England must not be seduced by the All Blacks’ mystique if they are to clinch a first Twickenham victory over New Zealand in 13 years on Saturday.
Steve Borthwick has been boosted before the toughest assignment of England’s autumn campaign with the return to fitness of Elliot Daly, who could make his first appearance since fracturing an arm on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in Sunday night’s 37-man squad.
Continue reading...