Lawrence Dallaglio has sent a rallying call to Steve Borthwick and his England squad ahead of their 2023 World Cup quarter-final against Fiji.
“You cannot live in cloud-cuckoo-land as England head coach,” wrote Dallaglio in his column for the Evening Standard.
“The last two games against Ireland, they have been well beaten; the last time they played France, they were hammered by 40 points; they lost three of their four warm-up games, including a first-ever defeat by Fiji.
“I think Borthwick has taken criticism of England too much to heart, to be honest. If England really think any of the criticism they have received is wildly out of line, I would love to know what they really think of their own performances, behind the scenes.”
He added: “England’s players need to look at themselves in the mirror and ask if they are happy with their performance levels. And the answer is probably not — so do something about it, put it right.
“The beauty is they have another game to do that. I fully expect this England team to show us what they are about.
“I do not think emotionally or physically that England have come close to the rugby they can produce. We keep saying we have not seen the best of this England team yet, and they keep telling us there is plenty more growth and development in this team. Well, now is the time to grow.”
England’s route to the World Cup final:
Let’s venture into the realm of imagination and explore the potential trajectory that awaits Borthwick’s formidable team.
Quarter-final: England v Fiji
After a historic defeat to the Pacific Islanders last month, England is poised to seek redemption in the quarter-finals. Steve Borthwick’s squad aims to erase the memory of their lackluster performance, and with their recent form, they stand a strong chance of advancing to the semi-finals.
WHEN IS ENGLAND V FIJI?
The 2023 Rugby World Cup Quarter-Final between England and Fiji will be played at 4pm on Sunday, October 15th.
TV CHANNEL
In the United Kingdom the England v Fiji game will be broadcast on ITV1 with pre-game coverage beginning at 3pm.
Television viewers in Ireland can tune into RTÉ 2 from 3.30pm to catch all the action.
HEAD-TO-HEAD RESULTS LAST FIVE MATCHES
England and Fiji have been battling in Test rugby since 1999. Since then they’ve faced off five times.
Their first meeting was at the 1999 Rugby World Cup where England won 45-24.
England won the next three fixtures before losing their game 22-30 against Fiji during the Rugby World Cup warm-up.
2023: Fiji won 22-30
2016: England won 58-15
2015: England won 35-11
2012: England won 54-12
1999: England won 45-24
REFEREE & OFFICIATING TEAM?
Referee: Mathieu Raynal (France)
Assistant Referees: Nic Berry (Australia), Pierre Brousset (France)
TMO: Ben Whitehouse (Wales)