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England play Chile for the first time ever on Saturday. The match is a Pool D fixture at Rugby World Cup 2023. The English Rose face Los Cóndores in Lille, France. England enter having defeated Argentina and Japan in earlier matches. Chile are winless after having faced Japan and Samoa.
The match is more than just the first between England and Chile. It is a very rare match. Chile’s two most recent appearances against Six Nations unions were against Scotland XV in 2022 and against the French Barbarians in 1954.
The chances of Chile facing England were low for the above reason let alone the difficulty of qualifying for a Rugby World Cup. Indeed, Namibia has played in every Rugby World Cup since debuting in 1999 but has never faced England in a test match. Neither Portugal nor Spain have ever faced England either.
England Head Coach Steve Borthwick has rotated his players from Japan to Chile. Owen Farrell returns from suspension to captain a team featuring twelve changes. He replaces George Ford who won man-of-the-match in both of England’s matches thus far.
Farrell will play outside 36-year-old Danny Care in the halves. The much younger Ollie Lawrence will be inside center with Elliot Daly moving from wing to outside center. The back-three is all change. Marcus Smith will play out of position at fullback with Henry Arundell and Max Malins playing as the starting wingers.
Up-front loose head prop Bevan Rodd and hooker Theo Dan earn their first starts of the World Cup. They will be joined by tight head prop Kyle Sinckler in the front row. South African David Ribbans joins George Martin in a new-look second-row while Jack Willis, Lewis Ludlamand Billy Vunipola start as the back-row trio.
Four of England’s 23 to face Chile will play their rugby abroad next season. David Ribbons will play for Toulon (FR), Jack Willis for Toulouse (FR), Joe Marchant for Stade Français (FR), and Henry Arundell for Racing 92 (FR).
Chile’s roster contains three players who did not play Super Rugby Americas 2023 for Selknam. Martín Sigren played for Doncaster Knights (UK), Matías Dittus for Périgueux (FR) and Iñaki Ayarza for Charente (FR).
Chilean Head Coach Pablo Lemoine has also changed his side significantly. Martín Sigren has been retained to the the side from flanker. Sigren will lead a team featuring ten changes.
The front-row sees try-scorer against Samoa, Matías Dittus retained at tight head prop. Salvador Deus and Augusto Bohme join him in the front-row. Javier Eissmann is back to start in the second-row with Clemente Saavedra returning to the position from flanker.
The back-row sees Sigren joined by Ignacio Silva and Alfonso Escobar. The trio was the regular combination for Chile in 2021. Other players have since come through to see more variety of selections. Among them are Thomas Orchard, Raimundo Martínez who will feature as replacements.
The backline sees Benjamín Videla starting in place of Marcelo Torrealba at scrum-half. Videla joins Rodrigo Fernández in the halves. The mid-field is unchanged with Matías Garafulic and Domingo Saavedra starting.
It is all change in the back-three. Chile will take to the field with Franco Velarde and Cristóbal Game as the wingers and Francisco Urroz at fullback. With Santiago Videla out following his knock against Samoa, Urroz will also be Chile’s goal-kicker against England.
Prior competition between teams from England and Chile has come in Rugby Sevens but never has there been a test match, let alone a Rugby World Cup fixture between England and Chile. England join Samoa in having faced all three South American opponents at Rugby World Cups – Argentina, Chile and Uruguay.
TEAMS
ENGLAND
1 Bevan Rodd, 2 Theo Dan, 3 Kyle Sinckler, 4 David Ribbans, 5 George Martin, 6 Lewis Ludlam, 7 Jack Willis, 8 Billy Vunipola, 9 Danny Care, 10 Owen Farrell (capt.), 11 Max Malins, 12 Ollie Lawrence, 13 Elliot Daly, 14 Henry Arundell, 15 Marcus Smith
Replacements: 16 Jack Walker, 17 Joe Marler, 18 Will Stuart, 19 Ollie Chessum, 20 Ben Earl, 21 Ben Youngs, 22 George Ford, 23 Joe Marchant
CHILE
1 Salvador Lues, 2 Augusto Bohme, 3 Matías Dittus, 4 Clemente Saavedra, 5 Javier Eissmann, 6 Martín Sigren (capt.), 7 Ignacio Silva, 8 Alfonso Escobar, 9 Benjamín Videla, 10 Rodrigo Fernández, 11 Franco Velarde, 12 Matías Garafulic, 13 Domingo Saavedra, 14 Cristóbal Game, 15 Francisco Urroz
Replacements: 16 Tomás Dussailant, 17 Vittorio Lastra, 18 Iñaki Gurruchaga, 19 Pablo Huete, 20 Thomas Orchard, 21 Raimundo Martínez, 22 Lukas Carvallo, 23 Iñaki Ayarza
RUGBY WORLD CUP 2023 – ENGLAND VS CHILE
Date: Saturday, September 23
Kick-Off: 5:45pm (FR); 11:45am (CL)
Venue: Stade Pierre Mauroy, Lille (FR)
Referee: Jaco Peyper (South Africa)
Assistant Referees: Andrea Piardi (Italy); Pierre Brousset (France)
TMO: Marius Jonker (South Africa)
HISTORIC RESULTS
N/A
