4. England Struggle But Make the Semi-Final
Thanks to a more than favourable World Cup draw, England find themselves presented with a golden opportunity to right their recent wrongs for an extended run in the competition. England’s key opponents in Pool D are the aforementioned Argentines, as well as the Brave Blossoms of Japan. If there is one thing that fans have learnt about Japanese rugby in the last decade, it’s that you can not count out Japan to pull of a Rugby World Cup upset.
The ‘Brighton Miracle’ of 2015 saw Japan stun the world, with a last-ditch victory over South Africa. This was followed up my the home soil triumph over Ireland, as Shizuoka came unglued at the sight of the 19-12 victory. There is no writing off Japan from progressing out of Pool D, and repeating their fine form that saw them finish on top of Pool A at the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
So how well do we think England will perform against the Blossoms? It’s truly hard to say, but looking out to the Far East, Japan have had a recent drop in form, and look unlikely to pull off any similar ‘miracles’ in Nice or Nantes. The Brave Blossoms suffered defeats to Samoa and Fiji in the latest Pacific Nations Cup, and face a re-union with Manu Samoa in Pool D. Despite recent struggles in form, England should beat Japan, Samoa and Rugby World Cup debutants Chile, to finish in the progression stages alongside Argentina.
Like the All Blacks and South Africa, England have historically been one of those sides that despite recent form heading into the Rugby World Cup, can get back to their best once they reach the competition. With the exception of the 2015 embarrassment on home soil, England have always progressed to the knock-out stages, and unlike 2015, they could be set to face Wales or Australia in the quarter-finals, instead of taking a Pool stage defeat to those sides.
If England step up to their full potential, they could certainly beat any side coming out of Pool C. We believe that Steve Borthwick’s men have the capabilities to turn their fortune around, with this Saturday’s match against potential quarter-final opponents Fiji, being a telling fixture for the hopes of England fans set to make the short trip over the Channel. However, a loss at Twickenham could well lead to fans changing the channel, as expectations would drop for Borthwick’s side.