Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

'We are starting to see some pride in our defence'

By PA
Kevin Sinfield/ PA

England’s defence may have turned a corner since arriving at the World Cup but Kevin Sinfield is still refusing to smile.

ADVERTISEMENT

Steve Borthwick’s team are expected to win Pool D at a canter, in part thanks to a defence that has leaked just one try in three matches.

Even that solitary touch down was conceded late in the opener against Argentina when England played all but three minutes with 14 men following Tom Curry’s red card for a dangerous tackle.

It is a far cry from Borthwick’s first nine Tests in charge when the line was breached 30 times.

Sinfield, who oversees the defence, is satisfied with the progress made, but with greater challenges lying ahead in the World Cup, he wants more from his players.

“I’m never happy, I’m never happy. Across the board we’ve made some improvements and taken some steps forward, but there’s plenty to come from this team,” Sinfield said.

“My job is to be never happy and to keep pushing for more, but I see a group who want to get better and we are starting to see some pride in our defence. The zero against Chile was important for us and our mentality.

ADVERTISEMENT
Fixture
Rugby World Cup
England
18 - 17
Full-time
Samoa
All Stats and Data

“I’m more pleased than I was, but I don’t want the players to do it for me, I want them to do it for each other and the people back home.

“The way they’ve gone about their business in the last three games in particular says a lot about the group.”

England’s next assignment is against Samoa and after a torrid warm-up campaign that produced three defeats in four Tests, Sinfield insists there is no appetite to halt their victorious run.

“We are here to win. We tasted enough disappointment and enough poor performances throughout August,” the Leeds Rhinos rugby league great said.

ADVERTISEMENT

“We have tasted that and so we want to put our best foot forward against Samoa. We owe it to each other, to people back home and the supporters who have come here and been fantastic so far.

“We owe it to everyone involved that we throw everything at Samoa and we give it our best shot. We are very respectful of them, they are a great rugby nation and a fantastic country.

“There have been some very good games between the two nations in the past and we are looking forward to next Saturday.”

Rugby World Cup

Pool A
P
W
L
D
PF
PA
PD
BP T
BP-7
BP
Total
1
France
3
3
0
0
13
2
Italy
2
2
0
0
10
3
New Zealand
2
1
1
0
5
4
Uruguay
3
1
2
0
5
5
Namibia
4
0
4
0
0
Pool B
P
W
L
D
PF
PA
PD
BP T
BP-7
BP
Total
1
Ireland
3
3
0
0
14
2
South Africa
3
2
1
0
10
3
Scotland
2
1
1
0
5
4
Tonga
2
0
2
0
0
5
Romania
2
0
2
0
0
Pool C
P
W
L
D
PF
PA
PD
BP T
BP-7
BP
Total
1
Wales
3
3
0
0
14
2
Fiji
2
1
1
0
6
3
Australia
3
1
2
0
6
4
Georgia
2
0
1
1
2
5
Portugal
2
0
1
1
2
Pool D
P
W
L
D
PF
PA
PD
BP T
BP-7
BP
Total
1
England
3
3
0
0
14
2
Japan
3
2
1
0
9
3
Samoa
3
1
2
0
6
4
Argentina
2
1
1
0
4
5
Chile
3
0
3
0
0
ADVERTISEMENT

Kubota Spears vs Saitama Wild Knights | Japan Rugby League One 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

The gruelling reality behind one of the fastest sports in the world | The Report

Boks Office | Episode 40 | The Steven Kitshoff Special

Perry Baker in the house | HSBC Life on Tour | Los Angeles

O2 Inside Line: All In | Episode 6 | Le Crunch

The Unexpected Journey to USA 7s Glory | Aaron Cummings | Sevens Wonders

USA vs Japan | Full Match Replay

Yokohama Canon Eagles vs Shizuoka BlueRevs | Japan Rugby League One 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

Confidence knocks and finding your people | Flo Williams | Rugby Rising Locker Room

Tackling reasons for drop-out in sport | Zainab Alema | Rugby Rising Locker Room

Jet Lag: The biggest challenge facing international sports? | The Report

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

1 Comment
C
Cam 587 days ago

These boys could turn our to be the dark horses this tournament!

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

R
Rafel Olszewski 1 hour ago
Finn Russell enjoys his return to Scotland as Bath beat Edinburgh to reach final

The Initial Coin Offering (ICO) I invested in appeared flawless, its website was sleek and authentic, the whitepaper was detailed and convincing, and the team boasted impressive credentials in cryptocurrency.I was eager to capitalize on a golden opportunity. Confident in my research, I invested $200,000, only to watch in horror as the entire operation vanished days later. Just as I was resigning myself to the loss, I discovered Muyern Trust Hacker by searching online ( web: ht tps://muyerntrusthacker . o r g /  ). Taking a leap of faith, I reached out, and from the very first interaction, their team stood out for their professionalism and urgency. Their experts meticulously followed the digital trail across multiple wallets and exchanges, leaving no stone unturned. After a week of relentless effort, they achieved the impossible: $175,000 was recovered. While not the full amount, it was a staggering victory considering I had assumed everything was lost forever. The relief was indescribable. Thanks to Muyern Trust Hacker,  I could repay a significant portion of what I owed my mother and regain some financial stability. This has taught me a harsh lesson about the risks of crypto investments but it also showed me the power of expert intervention. For anyone who has fallen victim to a scam, Muyern Trust Hacker ( Tele gr am: muyerntrusthackertech ) is the rescue team in an otherwise bleak situation. Their recovery services turned my crypto disaster into a second chance.

0 Go to comments
R
Rafel Olszewski 1 hour ago
Ardie Savea's herculean effort powers Moana Pasifika past the Highlanders

The Initial Coin Offering (ICO) I invested in appeared flawless, its website was sleek and authentic, the whitepaper was detailed and convincing, and the team boasted impressive credentials in cryptocurrency.I was eager to capitalize on a golden opportunity. Confident in my research, I invested $200,000, only to watch in horror as the entire operation vanished days later. Just as I was resigning myself to the loss, I discovered Muyern Trust Hacker by searching online ( web: ht tps://muyerntrusthacker . o r g /  ). Taking a leap of faith, I reached out, and from the very first interaction, their team stood out for their professionalism and urgency. Their experts meticulously followed the digital trail across multiple wallets and exchanges, leaving no stone unturned. After a week of relentless effort, they achieved the impossible: $175,000 was recovered. While not the full amount, it was a staggering victory considering I had assumed everything was lost forever. The relief was indescribable. Thanks to Muyern Trust Hacker,  I could repay a significant portion of what I owed my mother and regain some financial stability. This has taught me a harsh lesson about the risks of crypto investments but it also showed me the power of expert intervention. For anyone who has fallen victim to a scam, Muyern Trust Hacker ( Tele gr am: muyerntrusthackertech ) is the rescue team in an otherwise bleak situation. Their recovery services turned my crypto disaster into a second chance.

0 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ Brendan Fanning: 'Leinster have the best-resourced squad in these islands but can’t make it pay.' Brendan Fanning: 'Leinster have the best-resourced squad in these islands but can’t make it pay.'
Search