18 - 10

Fiji coach says there's something familiar about this England team

10 Oct 2023

South Africa's centre Francois Steyn (R) runs with the ball, followed by (from L) South Africa's centre Jaque Fourie, fly-half Butch James and flanker Schalk Burger during the rugby union World Cup final match England vs South Africa, 20 October 2007 at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris. AFP PHOTO / PATRICK KOVARIK (Photo credit should read PATRICK KOVARIK/AFP via Getty Images)

Steve Borthwick’s England have taken on the personality of the side that unexpectedly reached the 2007 World Cup final, according to Fiji assistant coach Seremaia Bai.

England have emerged from August’s dismal warm-up campaign to reach the quarter-finals as Pool D winners on the back of four victories.

Sixteen years ago at a World Cup also hosted by France, Brian Ashton’s team overcame a poor group campaign to go within a whisker of beating South Africa in the the final.

Head-to-Head

Last 3 Meetings

Wins

Draws

Wins

Average Points scored

First try wins

67%

Home team wins

67%

Fiji are the next assignment for England and they enter Sunday’s Marseille showdown knowing they stormed Twickenham less than two months ago.

“It gives us great confidence going into the game that we have beaten them,” kicking coach Bai said.

“But the most important thing in a play-off is that anything can happen so we have to regroup, refocus and we will have to prepare well for this resilient English side.

“They remind me of the 2007 tournament where everybody wrote England off but they reached the final.

“They have shown how good they are, with players who have played on the big stage. We respect that and take it on board.”

Comments

2 Comments

john 608 days ago

Lol think a visit to specsavers required after last performance I saw nothing I that game to hang any hopes on

Poe 609 days ago

Is it incompetence?

Join free and tell us what you really think!

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Comments on RugbyPass

Tom 15 minutes ago

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I now know that Newcastle have signed Jordie Barrett.

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Hammer Head 21 minutes ago

Premiership Rugby bosses give their take on breakaway R360 league

DOA

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Tk 36 minutes ago

Super Rugby Pacific's greatest season stained by one playoff game

The rugby is good but the administration is pretty woeful. What serious competition allows a team to be able to qualify for finals with a losing season record? Does everyone get a cuddle and a Well Done certificate afterwards too? Make all competition rounds mean something - top four into semis then a final. Losers go home. Are we not trying to create an AB team with the mentality to win World Cups?

22 Go to comments

Tk 45 minutes ago

Super Rugby Pacific's greatest season stained by one playoff game

Games that matter? What the hell are those 16 rounds meant to be? If only the top 4 go through then every single one of those games should matter. Not just turning up in the last few weeks to get a losers spot. Extended finals and second chances make the rest of the competition Mickey Mouse. Making the finals with a losing record should not be possible end of story.

22 Go to comments

Tk 49 minutes ago

Super Rugby Pacific's greatest season stained by one playoff game

No. 16 rounds of regular season play. Win if you want to be the winner.

22 Go to comments

Nickers 1 hour ago

Super Rugby Pacific's greatest season stained by one playoff game

To play in an effective quarterfinal that will be followed by a home semi final whether you win or lose is a farce.

This game should not have taken place, and if they were desperate to do so the teams should have been reseeded afterwards with the “lucky loser” OBVIOUSLY seeded last.

Am I just bitter because the Hurricanes got knocked out? Yes. But also it’s a stupid format.

22 Go to comments

Carlos 1 hour ago

The Reds' 'whimpering' exit shows Super Rugby scrums still matter

I do like Geoff’s writing. He is the one I am most likely to read. I miss Harry’s or JD’s articles mostly because I don’t get to the site with enough frequency.

70 Go to comments

Toaster 1 hour ago

Super Rugby Pacific's greatest season stained by one playoff game

There’s always going to be a trade off but also possible positives with injuries and rest

Take Tamaiti Williams as an example

22 Go to comments

Carlos 1 hour ago

Argentina confirm squad for historic British and Irish Lions clash

A very average side. Too many players with no high level experience. Good I didn’t spend the money to get to Dublin.

1 Go to comments

TokoRFC 1 hour ago

Super Rugby Pacific's greatest season stained by one playoff game

Mate, what TK and Ben Smith are forgetting is that a comp needs more games that matter, and its a balancing act getting that right.

They haven’t understood that having so many teams fighting over the 6th spot is what fueled the back end of the regular season. Not to mention the games to decide the top end of the finals seeding. It would have been a bit flat if the 4 bottom teams were out of the running with a few rounds still to go.

The current finals format is a bit funny to get used to, I agree. But if they sort out the scheduling guff where the BRU vs HUR match could have been a non knockout game, as well as giving more punishment for the lucky looser (dropping them to 4th seed in the semis). The current format creates more meaningful matches than the alternatives.

Some examples of finals formats:

Top 6 ≈ 14 matches that matter

With the improvements above, the current system creates 6 competitive finals, plus say 8 matches in the regular season that are effectively knockout games. 14 games that definitely matter. Plus some games to decide the finals seeding in there too.

Top 4 ≈ 10 matches that matter

3 finals matches and say 6 games to fight over the top 4. At a best case you may get 12 crucial games

If offered the choice, the sponsors, the broadcasters, the fans, the players and the all blacks selectors would all take more meaningful games over any alternative format.

22 Go to comments

Gavin 1 hour ago

Super Rugby Pacific's greatest season stained by one playoff game

They tried a bye for the top 2 teams back in the day. It had the opposite effect, as coaches of the teams that had a bye lamented how they felt off pace compared to the sides that just came off a serious challenge the week before.

22 Go to comments

PR 2 hours ago

Super Rugby Pacific's greatest season stained by one playoff game

If you are a Bok supporter (you might not be) you should be grateful that SA is in the URC and Champions Cup. Playing teams from Ireland, England, Scotland and France much better preparation for Test rugby than playing teams from Australia, Fiji, Samoa etc…

I appreciate that you prefer a Super Rugby style of play but maybe give URC another chance. There are some amazing games and rivalries out there.

22 Go to comments

SK 3 hours ago

The Reds' 'whimpering' exit shows Super Rugby scrums still matter

Let the ref put the ball into the scrum. It will go straight down the middle and come in without warning

70 Go to comments

AH 3 hours ago

Super Rugby Pacific's greatest season stained by one playoff game

Nah. Live in SA. Dream about multi phase rugby. Top 14 as good I will say

22 Go to comments

NB 3 hours ago

The Reds' 'whimpering' exit shows Super Rugby scrums still matter

I think Joe is a conservative selector at heart Miz.

I reckon he’ll stick with Fraser at 7, his attitude to Harry at 8 may depend on whether he sees big Will starting at 4. If he does, Harry will be the guy left out to make room for a bigger lineout 6.

70 Go to comments

NB 3 hours ago

The Reds' 'whimpering' exit shows Super Rugby scrums still matter

Knows the news but not how to predict it JD.

70 Go to comments

NB 3 hours ago

The Reds' 'whimpering' exit shows Super Rugby scrums still matter

Thanks Mitch.

70 Go to comments

NB 3 hours ago

The Reds' 'whimpering' exit shows Super Rugby scrums still matter

I don’t know why it’s become so dark but if you’re a poster it’s hardly a fun place to be…