Steve Borthwick: “The road to the World Cup starts now” – England react to RWC 2027 draw

With the fixtures now locked in, Borthwick believes the tempo of England’s long-term preparation will rapidly intensify. “It feels like the road to the World Cup has started now – it’s really going to accelerate from here,” he said. “There’s lots of talk and buzz around it.”

England’s reunion with Wales instantly rekindled memories of the dramatic 2015 pool upset at Twickenham. The defeat some decade ago laid the foundations for England's eventual pool stage exit, as they became the first host nation to ever suffer the opening round elimination. Whilst Borthwick steered c clear of any reference to 2015, the head coach expects a tough contest with Steve Tandy's side.

“As with every England-Wales game, it was full of passion and spirit,” Borthwick reflected. “I’m sure this will be the same.”

The pool draw has also led to widespread debate, particularly with defending champions South Africa and New Zealand positioned on a potential quarter-final collision course. Borthwick, however, was unmoved:
“The principles of the draw were set out some time ago and everybody knew what the world ranking implications would be. Lots of people like to plan the permutations – who knows how it will pan out.”

Planning for 2027 is already under way: “We obviously have provisional plans in place,” Borthwick confirmed. “Immediately after the upcoming Six Nations, I’ll be heading out to Australia with the head of logistics and head of performance to get the detail in place.”

Having fallen agonisingly short in both 2019 and 2023, England know the margins only shrink further at a World Cup. Both times England were beaten by South Africa, with a defeat in the final back in Japan, before a semi-final gut-punch sent England to the Bronze Final in France.

“Every team is top-quality in the knockouts,” Borthwick said. “Experience counts, how together you are, how good tactically. I expect the intensity of our training to go up. We’ll continue to develop scenario-based work to replicate those game situations that World Cup finals demand.”

Captain Maro Itoje echoed that mindset, welcoming the clarity the draw provides. “It’s nice to know who we’re playing – it’s no longer a guessing game,” he said. “World Cups are always exciting. Wales won in 2015, but hopefully this time it’ll be a little different.”

For Itoje, England’s next evolution hinges on seizing defining moments. “It comes down to big moments and how clinical we are. By 2027, when those moments come, we want to be ready to take them.”