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The 3 World Cup selection dilemmas facing England

By PA
(left to right) England's Freddie Stewart, Jack van Poortvliet, Ellis Genge and Marcus Smith react after conceding a try during the Guinness Six Nations match at Twickenham Stadium, London. Picture date: Saturday March 11, 2023. (Photo by Ben Whitley/PA Images via Getty Images)

England begin the final countdown to their pivotal World Cup opener against Argentina confronted by a number of injury concerns and suspensions that will shape their selection.

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Courtney Lawes, Kyle Sinckler, George Martin, Elliot Daly and Henry Arundell have been receiving treatment while Owen Farrell and Billy Vunipola are banned for the Pool D showdown in Marseille.

England enter the match on the back of five defeats in six Tests and head coach Steve Borthwick faces important calls in several key positions, three of which the PA news agency examines here.

Tighthead prop
Sinckler had been seen as a shoo-in for the number three jersey but a combination of his pectoral injury and the preference for Will Stuart early on in the Summer Nations Series has now placed a giant question mark over the position.

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England’s scrum has not been as solid as in the Six Nations, with Stuart failing to make the most of his three successive starts, and even if Sinckler is passed fit to face the Pumas, his lack of minutes last month will surely count against him. The final option in the squad is veteran Dan Cole and he at least has a start against Fiji under his belt.

Likely pick: Will Stuart

Scrum-half
Alex Mitchell was unfortunate to miss out on selection in the original 33-man squad after injecting tempo into England’s game during his replacement appearances in the Six Nations, but Jack van Poortvliet’s ankle injury has propelled him into contention.

The dynamic Northampton half-back was one of the few positives to emerge from a chastening 30-22 defeat by Fiji and if Borthwick wants to broaden the team’s horizons he would be the ideal pick. Danny Care provides similar tempo and would be a lively alternative, while Ben Youngs is the slowest of the trio but is valued for his game management.

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Likely pick: Ben Youngs

Full-back
Entering the build-up to the World Cup it was unthinkable that Freddie Steward’s place in the starting XV could be challenged but that is the prospect facing the towering Leicester Tiger.

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Recent moments of fallibility under the high ball, combined with his limited contribution to a pedestrian attack, have seen Marcus Smith emerge as a genuine option in the number 15 jersey. Smith’s replacement appearances against Ireland and Fiji emboldened England’s counter-attack and for now the Harlequins fly-half may have found his best route into the team. How he would stand up to a barrage of high balls is the great unknown, however.

Likely pick: Freddie Steward

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Comments

4 Comments
M
Mark 639 days ago

Borthwick will as always pick players whom he considers safe, reliable, and willing to carry out the pedestrian game plan he espouses.

Youngs is far, far past his sell by date.

Will Stuart is a club journeymen.

Freddie Steward has zero impacts re coming into the line.

He's just woefully slow.

P
Poe 639 days ago

Well that three darkly dire predictions.

R
Rusty 639 days ago

England will lose to Argentina by far. It's terrible that you have such pathetic performing teams (except for Argentina and Fiji) able to make it to the quarters and semis if they just out in a small effort.

P
Poe 639 days ago

Samoa are in with a shout too

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RedWarriors 38 minutes ago
Rassie Erasmus wades into heated debate over Jaden Hendrikse antics

The information regarding the breaking of electoral law was of course taken from public judgements and reports by the UK Electoral Commission. The Leave campaign cheated to the effect of £1 million in the last week. They were slapped a £20k fine.


Arron Banks, who was on the brink of bankrupcy, could not explain where his UK company got the £8 million donated to UKIP and Leave.EU It came from a foreign company via Banks Isle of Man company. You fasc1sts throw around the term ‘Traitor’ a lot but how is undermining a democratic vote with foreign money not treasonous?


Vikings: Brian Boru beat them at battle of Clontarf in 1014.

Normans: English fell in 1066. They capitulated and have been sucking aristocratic c**k ever since. Normans were subsumed into Gaelic culture. Thomond as you will know (or not, youre an idiot) from rugby was a temporary Norman earldom reverting to the Gaelic Theas Mumha. See also Ormond and Desmond, you moron.

Catholic Church: The English completely capitulated to Rome. In the Sinod of Lindisfarne Ireland declared they would stay independent. That was the reason the Normans invaded apparently due to a Papal Bull (you complete moron).

English/British: It took Tens of thousands of Saxon soldiers to take Ireland and you were never able to hold it properly or subdue the population. That is what morons like you hare us. There has been a rebellion every generation. We kicked you out in 1921 after a two year war. That began the disintegration of the British empire. While we were in the UK other nations and ordinary English people did get the benefit of Irish agitation outside and inside parliament re land, human rights etc.


The best outcome had to have been the disintegration of the British Empire. The most paras1tic the world has ever seen.

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