Sir Ian McGeechan holds the belief that unless substantial efforts are undertaken, England could face the risk of an early elimination in the group stage of the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
The tenure of head coach Steve Borthwick, who assumed the role after Eddie Jones, has been tumultuous over the past eight months.
McGeechan, in light of selecting his squad in advance, expresses concern about the progression of the England team within their group.
“So, where do England go from here? They simply have to accelerate from Saturday if they are to stand a chance of getting out of their group,” wrote McGeechan in his column for The Telegraph.
“Continue in this vein, and I’m not sure they will get beyond a quarter-final. That being said, the situation is rectifiable – but it is going to require some serious graft with time running out.
“England need more high-speed training – fast. Admittedly, a run-out against Fiji next weekend is probably the ideal opposition to provide that. The Fijians will want to move the ball from everywhere, quickly, and it could break up and be loose.
“If England are not more harmonious in their attack then it could spell trouble. Borthwick will want to accelerate this week, into next Saturday – and beyond – to evolve that fluency and understanding.
“Being in an easier pool helps England build into the tournament, but next week’s game against Fiji is crucial. If there is not a significant improvement in terms of fluency and organisation, then I would be concerned as an England fan.”
“Mercer recalled” – 5 England flops DROPPED, and who Borthwick call-up
Outlined below are five players who underperformed against Ireland. Additionally, we assess the potential candidates, based on their merits, who could take their places in the squad.
#1. Billy Vunipola
Telegraph 2/10: “Spilled a clearance kick, to the delight of Dublin. His head shot on Andrew Porter was inevitably upgraded to a red by the bunker. Another ban looms, as does a crisis at No.8 for Borthwick. “
Rugby Pass 0/10: “Having failed to sparkle seven days earlier, a huge step forward in performance was needed. It didn’t happen, his day ending with a red card via the TMO bunker. Borthwick claims Vunipola is as fit as he has ever seen him but that S&C didn’t emerge in this display where he looked leggy getting around despite being level with Genge at the short whistle on the pack ball-carrying metres. Two penalty concessions and a cheap knock-on that generated jeers from the home crowd highlight his first half difficulties. Sent packing for his yellow-carded shot on Andrew Porter 13 minutes into the second half, an incident soon upgraded to red due to “high degree of danger, no wrap, no mitigation”.”
Evening Standard 3/10: “The difficulty of avoiding high tackles basically does not matter any more. This is the reality and players have to adapt, and fast, or end up letting their teams down.”
REPLACEMENT: Zach Mercer, who should have been in the squad anyway