RWC 2019 – The Competitors – England

Four years on from hosting RWC 2015 a superior England team and overall roster has been established for Japan. As hosts last time around England crashed out early as they were beaten by both Australia, and Wales in the pool phase. Will a similar fate await them this year?

The signs are that England are a very well prepared side and a team with many strengths and few weaknesses. Head Coach Eddie Jones is a veteran having taken Australia to a RWC Final and having coached Japan to the greatest RWC upset of all-time – Japan’s win over South Africa.

England are prior RWC champions. They won the tournament in Australia in 2003. Since then they have done progressively worse in each tournament but the signs are that this will not be the case in Japan this year.

 

WORLD CUP HISTORY

RWC	FINAL PLACING	RESULTS
1987	Quarter Finalists	Won vs Japan, USA Lost vs Australia, Wales
1991	Finalists	Won vs France, Italy, Scotland, USA Lost vs New Zealand, Australia
1995	Semi Finalists	Won vs Argentina, Australia, Italy, Samoa Lost vs New Zealand, France
1999	Quarter Finalists	Won vs Fiji, Italy, Tonga Lost vs New Zealand, South Africa
2003	Champions	Won vs Australia, France, Georgia, Samoa, South Africa, Uruguay, Wales
2007	Finalists	Won vs Australia, France, Samoa, Tonga, USA Lost vs South Africa (x2)
2011	Quarter Finalists	Won vs Argentina, Georgia, Romania, Scotland Lost vs France
2015	Group Stage	Won vs Fiji, Uruguay Lost vs Australia, Wales

Overall record: Played 44, Won 31, Lost 13

 

RWC 2019 SCHEDULE

As the host nation of RWC 2015 England had a favorable match schedule of only playing on weekends. This is not to be the case at this year’s tournament. Instead England will have three weekend pool matches and one mid-week fixture.

England are to begin in the far north in the Sapporo Dome against Tonga. From there they will travel over 1,500km south to Kobe to face the USA four days later. This full travel day will potentially mean vastly different line-ups will be selected for England’s opening two fixtures.

A moderate trip of 500km to Tokyo will be required for game three and England will remain in the metropolitan region for their final pool match. These two demanding fixtures are to be against two sides to have done well in past editions of the RWC – Argentina, and France. England will have sufficient time to be well prepared for both.

DATE	OPPONENT	VENUE
Sun, Sept 22	Tonga	Sapporo Dome, Sapporo
Thurs, Sept 26	USA	Misaki Stadium, Kobe
Sat, Oct 5	Argentina	Ajinomoto Stadium, Tokyo
Sat, Oct 12	France	International Stadium, Yokohama

 

PREDICTED TRAVELING 31

Forwards: Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers), Ben Moon (Exeter Chiefs), Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins), Mako Vunipola (Saracens), Harry Williams (Exeter Chiefs), Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs), Jamie George (Saracens), Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints), Maro Itoje (Saracens), George Kruis (Saracens), Joe Launchbury (Wasps), Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints), Tom Curry (Sale Sharks), Nathan Hughes (Wasps), Brad Shields (Wasps), Sam Underhill (Bath), Billy Vunipola (Saracens), Mark Wilson (Newcastle Falcons)

Backs: Ben Spencer (Saracens), Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers), Owen Farrell (Saracens), George Ford (Leicester Tigers), Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs), Ben Te’o (Worcester Warriors), Manu Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers), Joe Cokanasiga (Bath), Jonny May (Leicester Tigers), Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs), Anthony Watson (Bath), Mike Brown (Harlequins), Elliot Daly (Saracens)

 

PROJECTED MATCH-DAY LINEUP

1 Mako Vunipola, 2 Jamie George, 3 Kyle Sinckler, 4 Courtney Lawes, 5 Maro Itoje, 6 Mark Wilson, 7 Tom Curry, 8 Billy Vunipola, 9 Ben Youngs, 10 Owen Farrell (capt.), 11 Jonny May, 12 Manu Tuilagi, 13 Henry Slade, 14 Jack Nowell, 15 Elliot Daly

Replacements: 16 Dylan Hartley, 17 Ben Moon, 18 Harry Williams, 19 George Kruis, 20 Sam Underhill, 21 Ben Spencer, 22 George Ford, 23 Anthony Watson

 

Key Back: Elliot Daly
Key Forward: Mako Vunipola
Talisman: Maro Itoje

 

RWC 2019 PREVIEW

The Jones regime has enjoyed tremendous success,  rising up the rankings to now be consistently above longtime rivals Australia, and South Africa. Series wins were recorded in Australia, and Argentina as was a Six Nations Grand Slam in 2016.

England is well positioned to be a threat for all opposition teams in RWC 2019. The projected results from Pool C are wins against Argentina, France, Tonga, and the USA. This would see England winning the pool and facing the runner-up of Pool D in the Quarter Finals.

Based on the likely outcomes from the Pool D matches the Pool C winner will most likely be up against Australia. England would be expected to win this Quarter Final which would mean a likely Semi Final against New Zealand. That match would be wide open though England are more than capable of winning it. If so it would see England into the RWC Final which would likely be against South Africa. England would be favorites to win that fixture to thereby be crowned champions for the second time.

Week 1 – Italy
Week 2 – Fiji
Week 3 – Japan
Week 4 – England
Week 5 – Namibia