Former scrum-half Matt Dawson claims that England are without world-class players with uncertainty around selection becoming a major issue.
The England head coach named his 33-man squad for the showpiece event on Monday with Alex Dombrandt and Henry Slade being the two most notable omissions.
“I know there are players in that squad who have been world class,” Dawson told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“My concern is where are the world-class players right now?.
“I’m not convinced that playing the way Steve Borthwick is playing at the moment is good enough to win the World Cup
“I look at the England backline… and you tell me one player that is inked in. Freddie Steward at full-back?
“How influential is he going to be if we don’t know who the other six players in front of him are going to be?
“I don’t know the nine, 10, 12, 13… and that indecision has to be playing on the coaches’ mind.”
The ex-England scrum-half expressed uncertainty about whether the players themselves are aware of the current optimal XV on the field, stating that the coaches might be equally unsure.
“They’ve got to get that connection, that fluidity over the next few weeks where all of a sudden, not only us as fans and pundits and rugby lovers, but the players and squad know what that first XV is,” he said.
“I know that sounds ridiculous and it’s got to be competitive, but you’ve got to know what your best team is and you’ve got to get behind that.
“You’ve got to know where you are in the squad. There’s an acceptance within that 33 that only 15 can take the field, but [you have to] get the best 15 on the field [to have a chance to] pick up a medal come October.”
England name their most diverse World Cup squad of all-time with six players born overseas
Steve Borthwick’s latest selection showcases the most culturally varied England squad heading into a World Cup, incorporating six players hailing from six distinct nations across four continents.
ENGLAND PLAYERS FROM OVERSEAS:
Marcus Smith (Philippines)
He comes from a diverse background, with his mother being Filipino and his father English. As the eldest of three brothers, their family spent seven years in the Philippines before relocating to Singapore. Eventually, they settled in Brighton, England, when Smith was 13 years old. A testament to his roots, he proudly displays a tattoo on his left arm representing his country of birth.
At the age of 14, he underwent a trial with Harlequins, and upon completing his education at 18, he joined the club on a full-time basis. He swiftly found himself in the limelight as he was brought into the Harlequins’ first team due to a series of injuries. His debut in the Gallagher Premiership occurred against London Irish at Twickenham in September 2017. Throughout the 2017-18 season, he impressively initiated 18 league matches.
Although he was just a young child when England claimed victory in the 2003 Rugby World Cup, he still recalls watching the momentous event alongside his father. Among his role models, he counts Jonny Wilkinson, the iconic figure of that triumph, as one of his heroes.
In his journey to becoming a professional rugby player, he has had the privilege of engaging in kicking sessions with none other than Jonny Wilkinson himself.