Steve Borthwick has defended his decision to pick only one specialist number eight in England’s World Cup squad by stating Billy Vunipola is in the shape of his life.
Henry Slade’s absence from the 33 players who will depart for France next month provided the biggest selection shock, but close behind was the omission of Alex Dombrandt.
England’s first-choice number eight throughout the Six Nations failed to make the required impression in Saturday’s final trial match against Wales, which ended in a tame 20-9 defeat.
Vunipola is the only option with expertise in the position but the 30-year-old Saracen has been sidelined since mid-April after undergoing two knee surgeries and has yet to play under Borthwick.
Borthwick has witnessed enough, however, to believe he can make an impression on his third World Cup.
“Billy has been fantastic in this training camp. I’ve seen just how hard he’s worked to come back from his injury,” England’s head coach said.
“He looks in great shape and is the fittest I’ve ever seen him. His experience will add to this squad.
“I’ve had the opportunity to work with him for a long period of time now and the opportunity to understand what the team needs.”
Taking a second specialist number eight to the tournament is seen by Borthwick as a luxury England cannot afford.
Instead, he has stocked his back-row contingent with players who can cover multiple positions with Lewis Ludlam, Ben Earl and Tom Curry alternatives if Vunipola becomes unavailable.
“Alex has done really well and has trained well. He’s a very, very good player,” Borthwick said.
“There’s a lot of competition in the back row and there’s also flexibility around those positions.
“Lewis Ludlam has the ability to play six, seven and eight. Ben Earl has the ability to play seven and eight. Curry seven, eight and six.
“There’s a lot of flexibility there and for me it’s about making the decision on the right combination and ultimately that’s what it’s come down to.”
Slade has lost out to Joe Marchant, who alongside Ludlam was one of only two players to emerge from the wreckage at the Principality Stadium on Saturday with his reputation enhanced.
Borthwick indicated that the decision to take three front line fly-halves in Owen Farrell, George Ford and Marcus Smith to ensure there is adequate cover in the event of injury or suspension ultimately cost the Exeter centre.
“Henry has been excellent throughout the training camps,” said Borthwick, who repeatedly declined to say if he believed England can win the World Cup.
“I decided we’d have three players in key positions – front row, scrum-half, fly-half – for the obvious reasons. That means in the other areas of the team you need to have positional flexibility.
“Henry was clearly disappointed but the message to all the players who haven’t been selected is to be ready to come into the squad.
“We know there will be changes. Past World Cups show there are always bumps and bruises and there will be changes.”
Other big names to miss out are wings Jonny May and Joe Cokanasiga, both of whom played in the World Cup four years ago.
View this post on Instagram
Rookie Leicester duo Ollie Chessum and George Martin are present, while inexperienced hookers Theo Dan and Jack Walker supply cover for veteran Jamie George.
Henry Arundell offers X-factor in the threequarters with his selection coming at the expense of Cokanasiga.
Courtney Lawes, Dan Cole and Ben Youngs will be appearing at their fourth World Cups in a squad that contains more than 1,400 caps and is comprised of 19 forwards and 14 backs.
Farrell was confirmed as captain last month with Lawes and Ellis Genge acting as his vice skippers.
England and Saracens number eight Vunipola fined after arrest in Mallorca
England international Billy Vunipola has confirmed he has been fined after an incident which saw him arrested in Mallorca on Sunday, with his club Saracens set to launch an internal investigation.
On Monday, widespread reports claimed Vunipola had been tasered by Spanish police in the early hours of Sunday morning, with an altercation taking place after he left a club in Palma.
Saracens later confirmed they were aware of an incident and said they would deal with it internally.
The number eight, who was born in Australia but has represented England 75 times, later released a statement of his own via his club, denying that any violence took place and confirming the police investigation was now closed.
"I can confirm I was involved in an unfortunate misunderstanding when I was leaving a club in Mallorca on Sunday, which got out of hand," that statement read.
"Contrary to media reports, there was no violence, no fight and I did not threaten anybody at any stage, with bottles or chairs or anything else.
"I was charged with resisting the law and, following an 'express trial', I have paid a fine of €240. The Spanish police investigation is now closed, and I am flying back to the UK today.
"I will obviously cooperate with the Saracens internal process and unreservedly apologise for any inconvenience to all involved."
Fraser Brown ‘hugely proud’ of Scotland career as he announces rugby retirement
Fraser Brown declared himself “hugely proud” of his Scotland career as he announced his retirement from professional rugby.
The 34-year-old Glasgow hooker has not played since rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament while playing for the World XV against the Barbarians at Twickenham last May and he has now conceded defeat in his bid to return to action.
Brown won 61 Scotland caps, with the first of them coming against Italy in 2013 and the last in the Six Nations match at home to Ireland in 2023, the same game incidentally in which Stuart Hogg won his final cap. The front-rower went to both the 2015 and 2019 World Cups.
“When you have a serious injury like I did with an ACL at the end of your career, it is always going to be hard to come back from,” Brown told Scottish Rugby.
“That probably made it a little easier to announce my retirement but it’s still a surreal and strange feeling.
“I’m hugely proud to have played so many times for Scotland during my career. To get one cap was great, but then my second one came against the All Blacks at Murrayfield which was such a special occasion.
“To reach 50 caps was a big moment as I had to deal with a lot of injuries throughout my career and to be part of the growth process of the team which has resulted in where they are now has been cool.”
At club level, Brown made 141 appearances for Glasgow after joining from Edinburgh in 2011.
The hooker helped them win the Guinness Pro12 in 2015 with victory over Munster in the final in Belfast, while his last appearance for Warriors proved to be last season’s Challenge Cup final defeat by Toulon in Dublin.
Glasgow head coach Franco Smith paid tribute to Brown, saying: “Fraser is the epitome of a modern professional and someone who should serve as a role model to any young player starting their journey.
“The respect with which he is held, not only within the Glasgow Warriors community but within the wider rugby family, should serve to underline the achievements he has earned throughout his career and the manner in which he has achieved them.
“His work ethic and determination to bring the best out of the people and players around him has been clear to all throughout his career.
“I wish him the very best for whatever comes next and I know he will apply that same work ethic and determination that made him one of this club’s most distinguished Warriors.”
Brown becomes the second experienced Scotland front-rower to announce his retirement in the space of a month after Edinburgh prop WP Nel recently revealed he would be hanging his boots up at the end of this season.
England tap into knowledge of Brian Ashton to play entertaining brand of rugby
England have been tapping into the knowledge of veteran attack guru Brian Ashton to achieve their aim of filling Twickenham.
The Red Roses ran in 14 tries in an 88-10 victory over Ireland that places them on the brink of claiming a sixth consecutive Guinness Women’s Six Nations title when they face France on Saturday.
A thrilling attacking performance before a 48,778 crowd was born out of the belief that in order to play in front of a full house of Twickenham at next year’s home World Cup, they must play appealing rugby.
And helping them achieve that aim is Ashton, a former England men’s head coach regarded as a visionary in the game whose expertise has been enlisted by Red Roses boss John Mitchell.
“Brian makes us ask questions. ‘If this is the picture, what is the easiest way that you can take the wins?’” said Dow, who ran in a hat-trick against Ireland.
“I do think it is about asking those questions and having Brian Ashton available throughout the week…I absolutely adore the man.
“The way he phrases things almost makes you re-think the philosophy of rugby. I think in the English brand the philosophy is ‘let’s kick to the corner, let’s take the territory’. But is that the philosophy of all rugby? Can we expand that?
“At the end of the day, professional rugby is a business in its own way. We need to be proving to the whole of England that we can play an exciting brand of rugby.”
While England march on by overwhelming the opposition in front of them, Ireland’s blowout highlights the gulf in class in the women’s game and affects the credibility of the Six Nations.
The Red Roses have accumulated 228 points after four rounds and France are the only European team capable of taking the wind out of their sails when the rivals clash in Bordeaux.
“I 100 per cent think teams will catch up and as much as we may be on top now, it is on us to try and work to keep that place and demand more from ourselves,” Dow said.
“Because as much as we’d love the game to grow, we want to keep the gap ourselves and continue to prove that we can be the best.”
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
