England Rugby - The Ultimate Test Week

It is only Tuesday and yet I’m sure that I’m not alone in saying that my emotions are already rising prior to Saturday’s knockout clash between England and Australia. This World Cup has been years in the making, it is all we have spoken about and all that we have focused upon and yet there is a danger that the journey out of Pool A will be cut short in just a few days time. 

We have often said that winning is the only option, after a sticky patch, a poor performance or going into an RBS 6 Nations title deciding fixture however never have the words meant as much as they do right now on 29th September. Saturday’s loss was by the far the most agonising and devastating that this squad has experienced together, more than losing any RBS 6 Nations title or QBE International fixture, however the fact is that they have to show colossal resilience and get straight back on the horse. 

Much has already been said about their ability to do this, yesterday Stuart Lancaster openly shared if that he asked his squad to play the match against Australia tomorrow they would because they are ‘that frustrated’. The preparations leading towards Saturday’s match must be organised carefully by England’s management, the emotional energy that is flying around must not become a burden or a detriment. This week is a test of every single player’s mental strength for we know that physically they are on point and, by in large, fit. 

Recent history shows us that this squad will bounce back, the reaction against Ireland after that less than beautiful trip to the Stade de France must be replicated again. England must started positively on Saturday and dominate the opening quarter of the match to give them a platform to work from. If Australia gain the ascendancy early then, with everything that is on the line, playing catch up rugby could prove to be too much for this side to take, I hope that I am wrong when I say that. 

With four days to go before the most important match of their lives, a career defining test, now is not the time for criticism and sticking the knife into England’s management or individuals. Those in and around England’s squad say that they do not read the press and do not care what is being said outside of their camp however in today’s society you have to live under a rock to avoid the messages all around. Kicking a man when he is down is never right and the same principle applies to this squad, ‘we need your support more than ever’ were the words of Stuart Lancaster and he is right. 

Selection will be announced on Thursday morning, Nick Easter has come into camp for the injured Billy Vunipola, he is a man that is vastly experienced and will bring a fresh energy and a wise head to Pennyhill Park at a time when it is needed most. Today, we are still waiting on the fitness of Jonathan Joseph, Courtney Lawes and Ben Youngs. With the greatest respect JJ and Ben Youngs are the two critical individuals there for Joe Launchbury has shown what an athlete he is and his ability to start instead of Courtney. 

Once again selection will be met with a keen interest by all, will England’s management decide to let the side against Wales have another shot? Will they mix it up for a final time in midfield, potentially with George Ford & Owen Farrell both on the field? Or will injuries force their hands considerably? The decisions made this week are the largest of this management team’s lives and it is going to be a tense run in to this knockout test on Saturday night. 

England Rugby - Brutal & Agonising

It was the one that got away for England and the ultimate smash-and-grab for Wales, we always knew that it was going to be intense, physical and enthralling however few could have penned the script that unfolded at Twickenham Stadium last night.

This morning the England squad will wake up and it will hurt, a lot. Last night in the immediate moments after the game during their obligatory press conference both Chris Robshaw and Stuart Lancaster looked like broken men, the hurt and anguish on their faces was tough to witness. The defeat and the manner in which it arose will take some comprehending, it is one I'll need to match a number of times more, however my immediate thoughts are here. The brutality of a competition like this is that England have little time to grieve instead they have to lick their wounds and focus on what is ahead;

“It is now about the reaction, it is about the character this squad and it hurts like hell at the moment. Myself and the other guys we feel we’ve let a lot of people down who have come today to support us in the way that we didn’t quite close out the game when we were in a very prominent position. Credit to Wales but it is now about what happens next, a huge week ahead and we know that we have a huge challenge with Australia coming to town and all our focus is on that.”

Much of the past week was spent discussing England’s ‘big’ selection decisions and the pressure was on for them to bear fruit on the greatest of stages. In my opinion these calls did deliver and weren’t the reason that England lost the test match. For much of the game Jamie Roberts was kept quiet, for much of the match England were defensively on point and at ten Owen Farrell delivered the type of performance required from him; determined, ballsy and secure. However the fact is that, not for the first time,  England's discipline let them down and ultimately cost them the match. 

Had the result ended up differently, had England won by a point and not lost by three then we could be lauding and praising many facets of their performance, the scrummage in particular. England’s pack took Wales to task multiple times with Dan Cole, Tom Youngs and Joe Marler causing the types of problems that we haven't seen them inflict in weeks, it was a welcome sight. For much of the match England won the collisions and were brutally physical, prior to leaving the field due to injury Billy Vunipola was a man possessed. The number eight's work rate matched Chris Robshaw’s, he everywhere and excelled and Ben Youngs put the Fijian nightmare behind him sparking England from nine. 

The flip side to these positives is the fact that England were never able to get away from Wales, in spite of the scoreboard reading 22-12. At that stage the numerical distance belied the feeling of the match, it wasn't quite comfortable enough and the potent combination of the whistle of Jerome Garces and the boot of Dan Biggar stole the show. Now, much will now be discussed about the last call and the decision to go for the victory as opposed to the draw, individuals all over the country will give their views, former captains, players and fans. However the fact is that England should never have got to that point in the first place given their earlier dominance and hold on the game. Was it the right decision? Will that lost pool point cost England? You suspect that it might… however in the heat of the match, the call was made and it cannot be changed. 

No-one needs to remind England’s players or coaches of the magnitude of this loss, depending on what is to come, it may be the most hurtful and costly one of their careers. It was a match that England shouldn't have lost, it was a match that takes some computing and one that will need to be viewed many more times before I can fully processes it. Let me be clear, you cannot take anything away from Wales, they were battered by injuries and pushed to their limits and yet they delivered - it was bravery of the highest order and credit to them. 

Knockout rugby is now on the way for England, much earlier than they would have liked, and everything rests on eighty minutes against a side that most believe to be one of the dark horses to go all the way in this competition. 

England Rugby - The Welsh Test

“A game against Wales in my experience is like no other in terms of the intensity and the pressure that builds around it & you can build another 100% on that because it is a World Cup.”

Those are the words of England’s head coach Stuart Lancaster, a man that we all know isn't one to over exaggerate or embellish a point. The fact is that he is right, England versus Wales is one of the greatest rugby rivalries that there is and given the context of the tournament and their pool this encounter is quite simply, the largest of the lot.

The decision to change the 10/12/13 axis is a significant one and from an external position it is fair to say that it has taken a touch of computing. When the selection was confirmed on Thursday morning the ensuing press session was a lengthy one and one in which Stuart Lancaster afforded greater clarity regarding the selection decisions that had been made. 

Arguably the call at fly half is one of the largest of Stuart Lancaster’s career as for the past ten months England’s attack has been centred around the man that will start on the bench, George Ford. Did his performance against Fiji deserve for him to be dropped? In my opinion it didn’t however I am not in a position of authority. The message from camp is loud and clear; both are world class players and there is little to no gap between them in terms of quality. For this particular game, against this particular opposition Owen fits the bill and that has been reflected in the choice made. 

The fact is that England know Wales well and visa versa, Wales play a specific type of rugby, one that we all lovingly refer to as Warrenball and have a set defensive system. In order to combat both of these factors England’s coaching team have specific tactics and personnel in mind and Stuart Lancaster’s detail on this, without giving the whole game away, makes for fascinating reading; 

“Wales have a strength in their defensive system and a lot of their wins are based on their defence. You have to understand how it is constructed and what it takes to break it down, it’s not all about playing shape out the back, it’s about playing through the line.”

“We try to get a two-sided attack and we believe Mike Brown can offer us an attacking threat down one side of the field. He offers us that, as Alex Goode does and if we want to play and get the ball to the wing on the other side then we’ve obviously got Owen and Brad out the back if we need to use the wings. But, you don’t tend to find that sort of space against Wales in the first 30, 40, 50 minutes of the game.”

“As the game goes on we can bring George on, move Owen out but we didn't win the game in February by playing shape, we came through by dominating and winning the gainline. It was Ben Youngs running from nine, it was James Haskell charging on to the ball. It was genuine quick front-foot ball and putting the ball in behind them.”

“We learnt three years ago if you play against Wales in the wrong areas of the field, their defensive system - because everyone is in it in the line - will shoot you down.”

The message from Pennyhill Park is loud and clear, England aren’t panicking instead they are selecting for what they see in front of them. At inside centre Sam Burgess must deliver, he must show the world what he has been demonstrating to England's coaches for the past three months and Lancaster is confident regarding his ability to do this; 

“We don’t have reams of previous international rugby union games he’s played in so we’ve had to judge a lot on what we training. A lot of people on the outside world will probably say ‘how does that work?’ When you’ve got 30 players in camp and we go 15 on 15 in training a lot of our games in training are full on games, admittedly taking the contact out. But, to a certain extent he’s had to defend consistently against the likes of JJ, Brad, Henry Slade, George, Owen andI’ve watched him day in day out do that.”

“This weekend, I’ve got to be confident he will defend well, which I am. I’ve got to be confident that he can deal with the big game experience and I’m certain of that. I’ve got to be confident he can carry the ball, get across the gainline and give us front foot ball and I’m confident he can do that as well. It’s a step for him but I’m 100% certain he’s ready for it.”

Rarely has there been a test week in which so much debate has raged around selection and as a result little has been mentioned of the other elements that are vital for England to nail in order to beat Wales. The breakdown will be king, the set piece must not shake one iota and England’s discipline must be squeaky clean. Wales may be slightly depleted due to injuries however when you read the names on their team sheet; Warburton, Wyn Jones  North, Falateau, Roberts etc. they aren't exactly lacking in firepower or experience. 

With the greatest respect, England's selection decisions at fly-half and in the centres are bold however they have been made and it is time to trust the experts and get ready to be blown away by what has the makings of being one of the most intense clashes of the entire competition. 

England Rugby - One I Didn't See Coming

Last night as the country was thinking about going to bed for the evening news reports  broke across social media. The call, predicted, is that England will completely reshuffle their midfield to face Wales this weekend with Owen Farrell, Sam Burgess and Brad Barritt starting in place of George Ford and the bruised Jonathan Joseph. 

As I’ve said countless times selection is a highly subjective topic, one man’s starter in another’s bench warmer and visa versa. That said, normally you have an inkling as to what is to come however if these reports are true then this is one that I did not see coming, at all. 

The area of most surprise is the dropping of George Ford in place of Owen Farrell. Since his debut against Samoa in the autumn Ford has led the shape of England’s attack and managed games with prowess and intelligence. Ford’s flat to the line approach has, on countless occasions, given England the front foot advantage they require and been the catalyst for try after try. The numbers speak for themselves, England have only been outscored in terms of tries once since he has started and have won 8 out of the 10 games with Ford in the middle. Now we all know that rugby is a team game however in the same manner the 10 is the linchpin for everything, without a truly dominant one everything becomes wobbly, just ask Italy! In terms of his replacement, Owen Farrell is a great fly half himself; competitive, hardy, accurate and intense however with the absence of the ball playing Jonathan Joseph I worry England’s approach won’t have enough flair to fox the organised Welsh defence. 

Clearly with Jonathan Joseph picking up a knock against Fiji a change has been enforced however from where I am sitting outside of camp I don’t believe that George Ford has done anything to warrant his release from the starting XV. The Fiji game wasn’t England’s best performance, as a whole, Ford was no different to any other that started on Friday night, he performed his job with the expertise and authority that we have come to expect from the Bath man but didn't reach fifth gear. 

From the bench to
starting XV

Sam Burgess’ inclusion in the centres, alongside Brad Barritt, points to England’s decision to play hard ball in this game. We all know about Warren Ball and now it looks like England have decided that the best approach is to beat them at their own game. The other permutations were to bring in Henry Slade as a like for like replacement for Jonathan Joseph and leave Brad Barritt where he is most comfortable at inside centre. I can only assume that the choice to not do this was due to Slade's lack of experience and more diminutive stature than Sam Burgess however again if it was my call I'm not sure if I would have done the same. 

Without a doubt, if confirmed, this call to recalibrate England's midfield ahead of the Welsh World Cup challenge will be the largest made by England's management since taking over in 2012. From my position on the outside I hope there is plenty that I haven't seen to warrant this combination being a potent one and one that can act as the fulcrum for an English victory over the Welsh. Until tomorrow then... 

England Rugby - Improvements En Route

"Every game is different but we know that we need to improve and we know that we’ll be better for getting a World Cup game out the way and I think time will tell and I think that it will show that Fiji are a good team. Obviously they have a tough ask now after a short turnaround however I think they’re going to be strong, so we are in a pretty good place and looking forward to the weekend"

Those were the words of Richard Wigglesworth following England’s opening victory over Fiji on Monday morning. After a few days of reflection the conclusions are clear and simple, England weren’t at their best on Friday night but they delivered the victory regardless and most importantly secured the bonus point that could be critical. The areas of improvement are clear; overall discipline in particular at the breakdown, grasping hold of our scrummage and a general tidy up in attack. Are these things that England aren’t capable of? No, they are items that some solid training and the clearer thinking that will be afforded during a match that isn’t the opening of the largest tournament of their lives, will deliver.  

England’s bench did make a positive impact on Friday night, they came on and produced exactly what was required of them to secure the match. Immediately after the game Stuart highlighted that he would ‘have look at selection’ however in my view I don’t believe that wholesale changes are required, a few tweaks perhaps but nothing major. England’s first half wobbles were natural due to the occasion, as opposed to fundamental  errors in personnel. The fact is that in order for your bench to be most effective the XV starting have to have gained a solid platform to work off. 

Ben Youngs didn’t have his greatest game of his life on Friday night therefore you wonder if he might be switched for Wiggelsworth however as we know that does change the dynamic from the middle quite considerably. Richard Wiggelsworth is a touch more pragmatic and reliable on the boot whereas, when he’s on his game, Ben Youngs sparks and links in strongly with George Ford. Could Joe Launchbury start? You have to say that he is more than capable of doing, however what would that do to the lineout when you have someone as experienced as Alyn Wyn Jones in there? Geoff Parling has delivered solidity to the whole procedure so the question, in my mind, for Stuart is whether Joe starts over Courtney Lawes?

With the luxury of a seven day turnaround England have the opportunity to rest their bodies after a hugely physical encounter against the Fijians. I said prior to the game that the victory was the first objective, the bonus point would have been just that, a bonus, and if England could escape mostly unharmed then it would be a miracle. Sadly there have been a few bumps and bruises to Jonathan Joseph and Ben Morgan however their severity isn't fully known yet and both may still play a part at the weekend. There's no question that the Welsh will bring physical intensity to Twickenham however not in the same collective manner that the Fijians do. A statement like that certainly isn’t disrespecting Wales it is simply a fact given the collective size of John McKee’s side from one to fifteen and the manner in which every single one attacks their hits. 

This week the work will continue in earnest at Pennyhill Park before tapering down prior to this huge Pool A clash. Stuart Lancaster will name the side to play Wales on Thursday morning and then on Saturday night England will return to Twickenham knowing what to expect in terms of a Rugby World Cup atmosphere. This knowledge will assist them in starting well and continuing to prove that Twickenham Stadium is their home and their fortress against an old and very well known rival. 

England Rugby - Opening Night

Vintage and beautiful it was not however this morning Pool A’s table has a big fat number five next to England Rugby’s name and in the cold light of day that is all that matters. England’s opening performance in the 2015 Rugby World Cup was wrought with nerves, penalties and turnovers however as Stuart Lancaster said ‘at the start if you had offered us four tries and a bonus point I would have absolutely taken that.'

The atmosphere in the build up to the game at Twickenham Stadium was unlike anything that I have ever experienced before, you could almost touch the excitement and the electric opening ceremony simply added to that. By the time kick off arrived I can only imagine how England’s XV were feeling and it is no wonder that they struggled to calm their nerves in the opening stages. The ill timed drizzle did little to assist the monumental task of remembering that ‘this is just another game of rugby’ and certainly played a factor for both teams as passes didn’t go to hand and simple balls were dropped. As a collective England battled through these opening nerves and a penalty try and a yellow card to Niko Matawalu should have set the platform to charge on. However, as we all expected the physicality of the Fijians meant that England had little opportunity to truly settle into their attacking rhythm during the course of the match let alone the sin bin period. 

As has been the case in recent times England’s bench took the match by the scruff to the neck when they arrived, en mass, after fifty minutes. Joe Launchbury announced his arrival onto the field by forcefully shifting 19 stone Nadolo into touch, a confidence boosting moment for the whole side after the big man had been causing a spot of havoc. Billy Vunpiola took the direct approach and this is exactly what Stuart Lancaster had implored his side to do at half time.

I asked Stuart Lancaster during the post match press conference what his key messages were at the break and he shared that they had focused on addressing their lateral play, he had reminded his players to play the game in the right areas of the field and that discipline was king. It is fair to say that the first two were addressed in the second half however the third remained a problem area. The breakdown was a source of countless profit for Fiji and had they slotted all of their opportunities off the tee the game would have been far too close to for comfort. The fact remains that they didn't and England got off scot free, against Wales they won’t. 

The sparkle and razzmatazz of the evening came from a man that is already back to his very best only a short time after concussion frustrations. Mike Brown fizzed from full back, he made 172 meters, 4 clean breaks, beat 9 defenders and crucially secured 2 of England’s 4 tries. England are a different entity with Brown on the field, his solidity under the high ball, attacking threat and competitive spirit ignite England and invite others to follow him. Billy Vunipola’s contribution was clearly evident on the scoreboard and as mentioned his direct approach added the go forward that was critically needed. A concern remains the scrummage, once again England's set piece percentage was less than perfect as they lost three scrums against the head and the aforementioned breakdown was an area England never had true control of, concerning when you have two individuals like Warburton and Tipuric en route. 

From my perspective the context of this game counts for a lot and I do not believe that we will not see the same errors repeated in future matches. This game could have been the ultimate banana skin and whilst it wasn't beautiful, England didn't slip up. The Fijian's physicality and ability to disrupt their opponents will be seen throughout this tournament and as Stuart said after the game 'they will cause every team problems in this tournament'. This morning English bodies will be hurting at Pennyhill Park but they will be safe in the knowledge they have started their tournament with the maximise number of points possible and battled through a tough opening night. Onwards and upwards to Wales!

England Rugby - Emotions & Collective Pressure

On the eve of England Rugby’s greatest test Tom Wood addressed the world’s media following the side’s final team run at Twickenham Stadium. It is easy to see why Tom Wood has captained England whenever Chris Robshaw hasn’t been around. The Northampton Saint is a great rugby player as well as being an intelligent and articulate man, a leader in every sense of the word. 

England’s journey to this tournament started when Stuart Lancaster took over as interim head coach in 2012 and every decision since has been made with this competition in mind. As well as the physical challenge that lies ahead for England Rugby they have an emotional one to conquer too as Tom shared;

“It is going to be a great occasion. We have had a glimpse of some of the build-up. The stadium looks fantastic. It can work either way either the emotion can get the better of you and you can find yourself forcing things and getting carried away or you can be inspired to deliver the performance of your life."

"It's a difficult balancing act - you want to be in the zone, focus on your game and have tunnel vision but at the same time we want to take full advantage of playing at home and the crowd. We want to soak all of that up. We don’t want to look back and feel it passed it by. We want to really utilise that as best we can while keeping our eyes on the prize."

It is fair to say that the Fijians are renowned for their attacking X factor and will, given the opportunity, have a go from anywhere. The question from those of us on the outside is just how do you combat that? Tom’s answer was clear; 

“Collective pressure. If you race up individually and you have one guy with loads of energy and the others watch him do it, he will probably get stepped and the energy used against him. You need that next guy following up, if somebody steps they have no momentum because they end up in a big tackle and they have slow ball and are on the back foot. Fiji on the front foot, with their running game, the ball in the wide channels, are an incredibly dangerous team. We have to see how they react on the back foot, with stodgy ball.”

As we all know months, and indeed, years of preparation has gone into this Rugby World Cup and in a few hours the tournament will commence.  Even with the presence of Pool A you have the feeling that this Rugby World Cup is an open one, when it comes to the leading Tier 1 nations there are a number of teams that have the ability to win it and this means none can switch off for a second;   

“I know we’re not entitled to win it. There’s some great teams out there and I can’t promise you success, but all I can say is that we’ve left no stone unturned in terms of our preparation from 1 to 50 really including the initial squad that started out have just given themselves to the cause, handed themselves over and put themselves through absolute torture in the gym and on the field, committed to making each other better, and I feel ready. I feel prepared and I hope that those lessons were learned from the Six Nations campaigns and will stand us in good stead."

“We’ll manage the hype and the expectation and all that comes with that on home soil. But I’m humble enough to know that there’s no entitlement and no guarantee. The bounce of the ball can be a cruel thing, or a refereeing decision not going your way, so we just have to do our best to give ourselves the best possible chance in each and every game.”

England are the favourites and they must deliver appropriately for Fiji won’t lack for motivation, desire or ability as Tom knows;

“It’s fair to see Fiji will be underdogs and that will galvanise them as will the sense of occasion and the hype. It will no doubt bring the best out in them. But I feel ready and prepared and feel I can speak for the whole team. We look ready in training. We lacked some cohesion in the first two warm-up games against France because of the nature of the first hit out and some mixed combinations. I feel we showed what we are capable of against Ireland but we still feel there is more to come from that. We feel we can step it up another gear from there.”

For the twenty three England players the waiting is almost over, Pennyhill Park is likely to be a slightly subdued placed today as the match day squad try not to get what Wood calls 'hotel fatigue' and stay fresh for the greatest challenge of their rugby lives. 

England vs. Fiji - Welcome To The Rugby World Cup

18th September 2015 is a date that has been marked in diaries across the country, and indeed the world, for a very long time. At 8pm Jaco Peyper will start the 2015 Rugby World Cup and England Rugby will begin their quest to achieve rugby's ultimate prize on home soil. It is fair to say that England's challenge isn’t for the feint hearted, as we all know their group is astonishingly difficult and with the weight of the country’s expectations on their shoulders and an opener against an in form Fiji side, they'll need to fire out of the blocks on Friday night and never look back.   

Tom Youngs recently described that in his experience Fiji 'are a little random' and historically he was right. Fiji used to delight us with their breaks and individual's skills but never quite be as well organised as they needed to be. However now, after two months together and an extremely positive Pacific Nations Cup, the Fijian side that stepped out against Canada a little over one week ago was much more organised and cohesive. Niko Matawalu is their stick of dynamite at scrum half, he’s as sharp as they come and has electric pace and will certainly give the man earning his half century of caps, Ben Youngs,  a lot to think about. Leone Nakarawa rose to prominence last season for the Glasgow Warriors and often defies belief and gravity with his offloading game. Nakarawa will keep the ball alive nine times out of ten and that enables his side to maintain momentum in all situations and areas of the field. The Fijians love to strike off the counter attack, they are the kings of the open field but most worryingly, as I see it, they are hugely powerful, athletic and physical men. 

George Ford’s game management will be critical, he has one of the best rugby brain’s out there and must position England in the right areas of the field, at the right times as well as continuing to display flawless goal kicking. Stuart Lancaster has said quite clearly that England must deliver their basics and deliver them well on Friday night. Ahead of kick off and in the opening minutes of the match nervous energy will be flying, these men are only human after all and the leaders must step up. Recently Richie McCaw was asked to recall 'that' test against Ireland in Dublin and he shared that it was his look of confidence that meant his players didn't panic. Individuals said to him after that game that they looked up at him and saw his belief and it calmed them down and made them think that they could still win the game. This is exactly what Chris Robshaw must do on Friday evening, of course we all know that it is his first Rugby World Cup however he must act as if it is his second or third. England's Captain must carry the confidence of a man that has been there and done it all before and must show impenetrable strength in the face of any challenge or situation that heads England's way on Friday night. 

Discipline will be king, Jaco Peyper was not England’s friend in Paris, if he starts to ping them for everything in the opening five minutes then England must adjust and adapt, for a positive opening quarter will be vital. Finally the home side should have the upper in two clear areas - their fitness and their bench. The hard graft that this England side has put in over the summer must come to fruition; England must tire out Fiji, strike hard when they are flagging and profit greatly the final quarter. England have the personnel to be able to up their pace and give the game fresh momentum in the final quarter with the likes of Billy and Mako Vunipola, Owen Farrell and Joe Launchbury. These men are hugely experienced in their own right and with all due respect to the Fijian bench I do not expect it to be able to have the same impact. 

I have no doubt about the fact that this England side will find this match to be the most intense and pressured that they have ever played in. It will eclipse any knockout fixture, any final trial and be even greater than the warm up fixtures because on Friday, it counts. England have the talent and experience to beat Fiji and to beat them well and it is my hope that they will thrive under the white hot pressure that comes with opening a Rugby World Cup on home soil. 

England Rugby: 15 Mike Brown 14 Anthony Watson 13 Jonathan Joseph 12 Brad Barritt 11 Jonny May 10 George Ford 9 Ben Youngs 1 Joe Marler 2 Tom Youngs 3 Dan Cole 4 Geoff Parling 5 Courtney Lawes 6 Tom Wood 7 Chris Robshaw 8 Ben Morgan Replacements: 16 Rob Webber 17 Mako Vunipola 18 Kieran Brookes 19 Joe Launchbury 20 Billy Vunipola 21 Richard Wigglesworth 22 Owen Farrell 23 Sam Burgess 

Fiji Rugby: 15 Metuisela Talebula, 14 Waisea Nayacalevu, 13 Vereniki Goneva, 12 Gabiriele Lovobalavu, 11 Nemani Nadolo, 10 Ben Volavola, 9 Nikola Matawalu, 1 Campese Ma’afu, 2 Sunia Koto, 3 Manasa Saulo, 4 Apisalome Ratuniyarawa, 5 Leone Nakarawa, 6 Dominiko Waqaniburotu, 7 Akapusi Qera (C) 8 Sakiusa Masi Matadigo Replacements: 16 Tuapati Talemaitoga, 17 Peni Ravai, 18 Isei Colati, 19 Tevita Cavubati, 20 Peceli Yato, 21 Nemia Kenatale, 22 Joshua Matavesi, 23 Aseli Tikoirotuma.

England Rugby - Stats & Facts

England Rugby have been building for this home Rugby World Cup since Stuart Lancaster took over as interim coach in 2012. Every single decision has been made with this tournament in mind, it has been their sole focus and on Friday night they have to kick off their tournament with a victory. The white hot pressure of a home Rugby World Cup is here, it is D day and England must carry the hopes of a nation on their shoulders and deliver high quality, winning rugby from the word go. 

England Rugby Stats & Facts

Chris Robshaw will lead the team for the 39th time and equal the total tally of England's 2003 Rugby World Cup winning captain Martin Johnson. Now, only Will Carling has captained England more times with 59 tests.

Tom Youngs is one of four players that has appeared in all of England’s 15 RBS 6 Nations matches since 2013. The other three are Chris Robshaw, Dylan Hartley and Mako Vunipola. 

Friday night will be Dan Cole’s 49th starting appearance and only Jason Leonard and Phil Vickery have started more matches at prop for England with 102 and 64 starts respectively. 

Four members of the squad selected for Friday night were involved in England’s last Rugby World Cup match, their quarter-final defeat to France in 2011 - Ben Youngs, Dan Cole, Courtney Lawes and Richard Wiggesworth. 

Ben Youngs will reach a half century of caps for England on Friday evening and he is only the 4th scrum half to do so behind Kryan Bracken (51), Danny Care (52) and Matt Dawson (77).

Finally Mike Brown played on the wing in 10 of his first 13 matches under Stuart Lancaster before switching to full-back after an injury to Alex Goode.

The View from Camp

The road to this home tournament has been an undulating one for England Rugby, their performance in the Stade de France was decidedly under-par however their last outing at Twickenham Stadium erased many of the doubters. England Rugby are ready for this tournament and Mike Catt knows exactly the kind of threat that Fiji will pose;

“What you expect from Fiji is a big physical battle, they are big, big men and like you say they have a got a lot of X Factor in their team but for us to beat them we have to be at their best defensively, stop them playing the game that they want to play and play in the right parts of the pitch really. All in all it is going to be a great encounter and we are looking forward to it.”

England’s conditioning is first class, across the board you can see that the squad are in the shape of their lives after the most gruelling pre-season of their lives. However, Friday night will be about more than just physical attributes as Mike continued to share;

“The trick is to make sure that we are prepared mentally and physically, to be emotionally ready for what is going to be a huge battle ahead but to not be overcome by the whole occasion. There is a lot of experience in the team now and that is what counted a lot during that performance against Ireland and that experience should contain Friday night, that’s the plan!”

England Rugby: 15 Mike Brown 14 Anthony Watson 13 Jonathan Joseph 12 Brad Barritt 11 Jonny May 10 George Ford 9 Ben Youngs 1 Joe Marler 2 Tom Youngs 3 Dan Cole 4 Geoff Parling 5 Courtney Lawes 6 Tom Wood 7 Chris Robshaw (C) 8 Ben Morgan Replacements: 16 Rob Webber 17 Mako Vunipola 18 Kieran Brookes 19 Joe Launchbury 20 Billy Vunipola 21 Richard Wigglesworth 22 Owen Farrell 23 Sam Burgess 

Fiji Rugby - Stats & Facts

England's opening night opponents are a side that have had a great run into this tournament winning the Pacific Nations Cup and cruising past Canada in their final Rugby World Cup warm up. Needless to say, Fijian confidence is high and they are tipped by most to deliver an upset against a Tier 1 side in this tournament. Of course upsets are all part of the interest during a Rugby World Cup however, keep it between us when I say that I hope that the Fijian's save their big performance for Wales or Australia!!! 

Prior to tomorrow night's opening fixture let's review a few statistics and facts regarding the Fijian players, with England's to follow a little later on. 

Fijian Stats & Facts

Sunia Koto will become the first front-row forward to play for Fiji at three different Rugby World Cups and actually started his rugby career as a prop.

Akapusi Qera will lead his team out for the 21st time and will also appear in his third Rugby World Cup. Akapusi, who plays his rugby for Gloucester Rugby, is the most experienced member of Fiji's Rugby World Cup 2015 squad and the seventh most capped player in Fiji's history. 

Vereneki Goneva is the only player that is not from a Tier 1 nation, who has scored four tries in a RWC match. This was something that Vereneki achieved in the 2011 RWC against Namibia.

It will be Nemani Nadolo’s first Rugby World Cup, with many tipping him as a player that will take this competition by storm. He is Fiji’s fifth highest points scorer with 159 points and has scored 15 tries, 18 conversion and 16 penalties during his 20 caps. Nadolo is the older brother of Chris Kuridrani and the cousin of Tevita Kuridrani and Lote Tuqiri. 

Leone Nakarawa started all four of Fiji's matches during the 2011 Rugby World Cup and courtesy of his performances for the Glasgow Warriors is now a household name in Northern Hemisphere too. Leone's unique ability is his offloading game and that was highlighted with his contribution to the recent European Champion’s Cup competition. The lock made 25 offloads during the competition, 9 more than any other player in spite of Glasgow only featuring during the the pool stages.

The View from Camp

Fiji are more than ready for this contest, they have had the most settled and positive lead into the competition possible and want to ruffle feathers on Friday night. With so many Fijian’s plying their trade in the Northern Hesmiphere Akapusi Quera shared this week how there will be little love lost come game time; 

‘We’ve got best mates in their team, but as soon as we cross that line on Friday night that’s where the friendship ends. We’ll pick it up again on Friday.’

Head Coach John McKee is a quiet and considered man and you can tell that he has enjoyed working with such a talented squad of players for a lengthy period of time;

‘We’ve been consistent in our selection - we’ve had the same players since June last year. A lot of work goes into all of our game, it’s not just one area. We know to be successful on Friday we have to go the full 80. It won’t be won in 40, 60 or 70 minutes. The intensity of test match rugby at the highest level means you need to play from the start, you need to be on your game at the start and you need to be on your game in the 80th minute.’

Fiji Rugby; 15 Metuisela Talebula, 14 Waisea Nayacalevu, 13 Vereniki Goneva, 12 Gabiriele Lovobalavu, 11 Nemani Nadolo, 10 Ben Volavola, 9 Nikola Matawalu, 1 Campese Ma’afu, 2 Sunia Koto, 3 Manasa Saulo, 4 Apisalome Ratuniyarawa, 5 Leone Nakarawa, 6 Dominiko Waqaniburotu, 7 Akapusi Qera (C) 8 Sakiusa Masi Matadigo Replacements: 16 Tuapati Talemaitoga, 17 Peni Ravai, 18 Isei Colati, 19 Tevita Cavubati, 20 Peceli Yato, 21 Nemia Kenatale, 22 Joshua Matavesi, 23 Aseli Tikoirotuma.