The 27-10 success against Argentina was an excellent result for England in their opening game of the 2023 World Cup. After going down to 14 men very early into that game, they looked to have a mountain to climb. However, George Ford produced one of his best performances in an England shirt, kicking all 27 points for his side.
Here are three areas England will need to improve on if they are to make their second consecutive final.
England Need to Finish Off Drives Better
The four points against Argentina means England are nicely placed to qualify for the knockout stages of the tournament in France. They now have World Cup betting odds of 9/1 to lift the trophy for the first time since their success in Australia in 2003.
Steve Borthwick will know that his side cannot solely rely on the foot of Ford when they are playing some of the major teams in the competition. The likes of France, New Zealand and Ireland can all score points very quickly, so they will need to find ways to make the most out of attacking pressure.
Their remaining group games against Japan, Chile and Samoa are great opportunities to build up some confidence in getting the ball through the hands and to the players best positioned to score tries.
Discipline Must Improve
Tom Curry update ⤵️
England and Sale Sharks back-row, Tom Curry, has received a two match ban following his red card against Argentina on Saturday.
More here ➡️ https://t.co/WlH0ALcJPA#RWC2023 pic.twitter.com/1KZNeXZxiO
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Premiership Rugby (@premrugby) September 12, 2023
His red card against Argentina means Tom Curry will miss two matches at this year’s World Cup and will have to complete the World Rugby coaching programme on tackling. He will not be available for games against Japan and Chile. England cannot afford to go down to 14 players again at this year’s tournament.
Curry’s mistake might’ve been due to early tournament nerves, but it isn’t just Curry with discipline issues. Owen Farrell isn’t known for his discipline and was shown a red card against Wales in the Summer Nations Series. They also went down to 14 players in their 29-10 defeat to Ireland in a Test match in August when Billy Vunipola was shown a red card for a dangerous tackle.
Getting The Most Out of Farrell
The performance Ford produced in their World Cup opener means Borthwick is going to have a difficult job getting Owen Farrell back into the team when he becomes available following the Japan game.
Only one of Ford or Farrell can play at fly-half, and it is hard to see how he can drop Ford considering the form he is in. Borthwick will be considering all the options available for his captain, and it may mean playing him in a different position, just so he gets into the starting XV. Borthwick will have to work out whether it’s worth trying the versatile Ford-Farrel combo at fly-half and centre that got them to the finals of the 2019 World Cup, or whether having a full line-up of backs in their preferred positions will lead to more cohesion.
The 2023 Rugby World Cup final takes place on the 28th of October and if England can sharpen up on the above three areas, they will have a great chance of contesting the trophy once again.
