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The silver lining Jack van Poortvliet grasped from World Cup tears

By PA
Jack van Poortvliet embraces George Ford in the England changing room in Lille (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

The last experience of an England camp that Jack van Poortvliet had was being driven out in tears by his mum knowing his Rugby World Cup was over before it had begun.

Destined to travel to France as first-choice scrum-half, van Poortvliet instead suffered an ankle injury in a warm-up game against Wales. A few hours later he was on crutches saying goodbye to his teammates.

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His replacement Alex Mitchell went on to become the starting nine and has owned the jersey since, including for this year’s Guinness Six Nations which van Poortvliet missed because of a hamstring injury.

But the 23-year-old has emerged from a traumatic season to take part in this week’s England training camp with a place on the summer tour to Japan and New Zealand in his sights.

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“When I first came in here it felt weird because when I left, my mum was picking me up and I was leaving crying my eyes out,” he said. “The start of it was tough – missing the World Cup.

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“The hamstring injury was another blow just before the Six Nations because that was the target I had set to get back for. Then you sort of crack on, get your head down, set yourself a lot of targets and it soon goes quite quickly.

“It was definitely tough in periods but I feel I’m a pretty well-rounded person after going through it. I have learned a lot about myself, my body, how I have got to manage it and look after it. It’s almost in theory made me more professional because I have got to look after myself.”

Van Poortvliet watched the bulk of England’s march to a third-place finish at the World Cup off the TV but he was able to attend the group victory over Samoa in Lille.

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“A few of my mates, who are also Freddie Steward’s mates, had an Airbnb for a few days, had a spare room, and invited me down. I said I’d love to go,” he explained.

“Steve (Borthwick) managed to sort my tickets and said to come into the changing room afterwards, so I got to see everyone and went back to the team hotel and had a catch-up. It was a good day – I definitely enjoyed myself out there.

“Steve gave me a bit of stick for how I was when I was watching the game – I was definitely quite loud in front of the coaches’ box which I didn’t realise! It was good fun, nice to reconnect with the squad and see them all doing well.

“Watching the games wasn’t easy because there was always this thought in the back of your mind that if this hadn’t happened then it could have been me.

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“There was also a realisation that stuff happens that you can’t control and you have to get on with it. It also gave me motivation, with the boys doing well. That spurred me on because, in the back of your mind, you want to get back there.”

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SK 10 hours ago
What is the future of rugby in 2025?

Set pieces are important and the way teams use them is a great indication of how they play the game. No team is showcasing their revolution more than the Springboks. This year they have mauled less and primarily in the attacking third. Otherwise they have tended to set like they are going to maul and then play around the corner or shove the ball out the back. They arent also hitting the crash ball carrier constantly but instead they are choosing to use their width or a big carrying forward in wider areas. While their maul is varied the scrum is still a blunt instrument winning penalties before the backs have a go. Some teams have chosen to blunt their set piece game for more control. The All Blacks are kicking more penalties and are using their powerful scrum as an attacking tool choosing that set piece as an attacking weapon. Their willingness to maul more and in different positions is also becoming more prominent. The French continue to play conservative rugby off the set piece using their big bruisers frequently. The set piece is used differently by different teams. Different teams play different ways and can be successful regardless. They can win games with little territory and possession or smash teams with plenty of both. The game of rugby is for all types and sizes and thats true in the modern era. I hope that administrators keep it that way and dont go further towards a Rugby League style situation. Some administrators are of the opinion that rugby is too slow and needs to be sped up. Why not rather empower teams to choose how they want to play and create a framework that favours neither size nor agility. That favours neither slow tempo play or rock n roll rugby. Create a game that favour both and challenge teams to execute their plans. If World Rugby can create a game like that then it will be the ultimate winner.

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