Rugby analysis: A look at wounded England and their 2027 Rugby World Cup chances
The dust has well and truly settled on the 2026 Guinness Six Nations - and questions are being asked about Steve Borthwick’s capabilities as England head coach.
With the 2027 Rugby World Cup looming in the distance, one must wonder why a sense of urgency still hasn’t set in.
Here, Sports News Blitz writer Chloe Willis explores the fundamental issues that remain at the core of the England rugby team - and how their chances for the 2027 RWC weigh up against their performance in the 2023 RWC and the 2026 Six Nations.
England find themselves once again “very lucky”, in the words of ex-international Ben Youngs who made the claim on TNT Sports.
With the wooden-spooners Wales drawn into the RWC group, alongside Tonga and Zimbabwe, England arguably have an ‘easier’ pool stage than 2023.
Facing Argentina, Japan, Chile and Samoa, England did not get off as lightly as one would have hoped.
With a tense one-point victory against Samoa, and a Fijian team out to prove themselves, the Pacific Islanders always seem to show up.
Semi-final spot
Yet, England found themselves in the semi-finals - a position, following consistent mediocre performances on an international stage, many did not expect for them to be in.
A solid South African team knocked them out, with a dominating performance, going on to win the Webb Ellis Cup.
However, the 2027 table suggests that England’s path to the final may be clear of the international powerhouses: South Africa, New Zealand and France.
And so, with arguably one of the best chances England has ever had to repeat the glory of 2003, why are the necessary changes not being made to ensure victory?
Discipline and mindset are fundamental elements of England’s poor performance
With seven yellow cards and one red card, England’s disciplinary record was the worst in the Six Nations.
Unfortunately, this is no surprise considering England’s history with poor discipline.
Tom Curry was red-carded in the opening match against Argentina in 2023 and Owen Farrell and Billy Vunipola faced bans before the World Cup even commenced.
With players like Maro Itoje consistently playing ‘on the line’, disciplinary risks remain a core of England’s technique.
There is a possibility that his captain status may push forward the message that taking such risks should be encouraged, bleeding into the playing style as they head into 2027.
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England mindset
Another major concern for England is their mindset. The team consistently pushes forward ‘star players’ with egos to match.
Owen Farrell’s smirk against the haka in 2019 provides a deja vu moment for the likes of Henry Pollock in today’s game.
Pollock brings influences from the football world, including shushing the France fans following his try in the final Six Nations match for England.
Unfortunately, France went on to seal a 48-46 victory, a disappointingly ironic moment for the player.
It was his attempt at an offload following the turnover of possession that ultimately cost England the game at the final whistle.
If not for his ego, would Pollock have made a better decision?
Kicking for fun - because no other objective seems clear
Borthwick epitomises the entrenched nature of certain tactics and strategies in England rugby history.
Following on from Eddie Jones’ lack of creativity, we have entered an era that pushes players to kick, kick, kick!
Commentary from the BBC on South Africa’s 16-15 victory over England in the 2023 RWC semi-final describes England as being committed to “raining down kicks” on the Boks.
While this played to their advantage in the first half, including forcing handling errors and penalties, this was a temporary victory.
When it came to a battle of attacking flair and creativity, alongside pure muscle, England fell short - one point short to be exact.
Game turned around
In the final 10 minutes, the Boks turned the game around.
While England played extremely well, their inability to adapt to the changing circumstances of the game ultimately led to their downfall.
This over-reliance on kicking has remained a core theme among fan criticism for a number of years, and only gained traction in the most recent Six Nations campaign.
Despite some successes in this strategy, often citing gained metres and field position as the reasoning behind it, it often leaves England in sticky situations.
England ranked fifth in terms of converting field position into points, with only Italy ranking lower than them in this regard.
And the fact remains that the team were fifth in the entire campaign, including a historic defeat to the Italians.
What needs to happen now?
Something has to change - we need to start feeling the emotional integrity of the Italians, have the defensive grit of the Irish and the attacking flair of the French.
We have the players in the Premiership, but Borthwick, much like his predecessor Eddie Jones, just doesn’t pick them.
And when he does, with the likes of Henry Arundell and Manuel Feyi-Waboso, there aren’t the surrounding players or strategy to support their success in the field.
Many were hopeful that the 2026 Six Nations would be used as an opportunity to test the waters and build something to be proud of.
Unfortunately, that opportunity was wasted, as the entrenched tactics and players were recycled.
With over a year to go until the 2027 Rugby World Cup, there is still time to build towards a competitive England team.
The draw is in their favour, so let’s not let that be for nothing!
