ENGLAND V FIJI Marseille, Sunday, 4pm, ITV
STEVE BORTHWICK’S entire England tenure will be judged on one match: Sunday’s World Cup quarter-final holds knife-edge status for the head coach.
Borthwick will not like the concept one bit, but the cold, hard fact is that this clash will define his embryonic reign. Win, and England will have a chieved their pre -tournament expectation. Lose, and the inquest will be unremitting.
England have enjoyed arguably the easiest World Cup draw in the tournament’s history.
The lowly world rankings of England’s Pool D opponents only serve to underscore that assertion: Chile are ranked 22nd; Samoa 15th; Japan 12th; and Argentina eighth. And now England will face world No9 side Fiji at the Stade Velodrome on Sunday.
The world’s top four teams are all on the other side of the draw.
England have avoided Ireland, South Africa, France and New Zealand, flying entirely under the radar in a relatively stress-free competition.
Finally, England will have to show exactly what they are made of. That it has taken until the sixth week of a two-month tournament for them to be put under such pressure is ludicrous.
England are in no way to blame for the scheduling and the draw, but so far they have had this competition as easy it could come.
Denne historien er fra October 13, 2023-utgaven av Evening Standard.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra October 13, 2023-utgaven av Evening Standard.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Why are England wasting time waiting for Tuchel?
Winning the World Cup is the aim, so the new boss should start now
He's been shot, and punched by Mike Tyson, but British boxing's great survivor is back on top and aiming to rule the world
This is where the magic happens,\" reads a big neon sign scrawled across the entrance to the offices of arguably the most powerful man in British boxing today.
How Sketch went from 'obscene' to era-defining
After arocky start, the glamorous and infamous restaurant is now an institution
Money is worth less than time'
He's quit Fendi, but what will Kim Jones do next?
London's Roman Amphitheatre
Guildhall Yard, EC2V
Liberals didn't notice they'd lost relevance in the all-consuming digital sphere
There are many reasons why Donald Trump might have won the election last week.
Do we have to die?
One neuroscientist thinks the answer is no
How to have a magical Christmas in Edinburgh
From cosy cobblestone streets to abundant Yuletide goings-on, few cities rival the Scottish capital in creating Christmas whimsy.
London's best festive restaurants
The social season is upon us once more. These are the city’s most coveted Christmas venues, which need to be booked soon so as to not miss out on the tinsel and tipples.
Rag'n'Bone Man
I struggle with being recognised... I'll never really feel comfortable with it'
