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Thursday is D-Day for World Rugby decision on whether England-France must be cancelled

09 Oct 2019

England trained in sunshine on Wednesday but Mako Vunipola and co could be blown off course at the weekend in Yokohama (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

England insist their World Cup bid will not be blown off course by the threat Super Typhoon Hagibis poses to their Pool C decider against France on Saturday.

World Rugby is expected to announce on Thursday whether the clash at International Stadium Yokohama must be cancelled due to the storm that is arrowing towards the south coast of Japan.

Hagibis has escalated from a tropical storm into a Category Five super typhoon with winds reaching 180mph into one of the most dramatic intensifications of any tropical cyclone since records began.

Satellite images of the extreme weather event reveal that it is the size of Japan and shows no sign of deviating in its path or decreasing in magnitude.

It is many times the dimensions of Typhoon Faxai, which brought Tokyo to a standstill for the day of England’s arrival for the World Cup, delaying their exit from Narita Airport by six hours and leaving a million homes without power and killing three people. Also at threat is Scotland’s crunch Pool A clash against Japan at the same venue 24 hours later.

(Continue reading below…)

While England and France have already guaranteed their places in the knockout phase, it would mean they enter the quarter-finals without having played for a fortnight – potentially leaving them undercooked.

“One thing we really pride ourselves on is being adaptable and flexible for anything that may throw us off,” defence coach John Mitchell said. “If there are other factors that are outside our control, then we’ll find another way to prepare very well.

“Ultimately though, we’re looking forward to playing France and that’s where our focus is. It’s where our preparation is totally focused and we don’t let that noise enter our preparation. It is not something we decide – it’s World Rugby’s decision.”

Latest on the typhoon that is threatening the final weekend of Rugby World Cup pool matcheshttps://t.co/TAEapBjUjD
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 8, 2019

England are due to announce their team to face France on Thursday morning and even if the game does go ahead, Billy Vunipola, Joe Marler and Jack Nowell will almost certainly be missing. Vunipola, the Saracens No8 Eddie Jones dare not lose, twisted his left ankle against Argentina last Saturday and it is hoped he will recover in time for the quarter-final against Wales or Australia.

Marler and Nowell were also hurt against the Pumas and England are unlikely to take any risks with their respective back and hamstring injuries. Returning to the treatment room is a bitter pill for Nowell to swallow after he made his long-awaited comeback at Tokyo Stadium following months of battling an ankle problem.

Just as things were going so well, England's Rugby World Cup campaign is coming under threat from three directions.?#ENGvFRA #RWC2019 #RWCTokyo #englandrugby https://t.co/FMa6cIWJxJ
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 8, 2019

The Exeter wing also had his appendix removed during the squad’s heat camp in Treviso in early September, further delaying his recovery. “It’s just a little hamstring injury. Don’t get me wrong, Jack will be getting slightly frustrated,” Mitchell said.

“We feel for him because he had the return from the injury he had in the Premiership final, then appendicitis and then another little niggle. But you saw a moment of brilliance for his try against Argentina – that upper body strength and power – and he will have taken a lot of satisfaction from that.”

– Press Association

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Head high tackle 11 minutes ago

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The ship was always heading in the right direction Hamish its just that all you ever did was stay in your room watching All Black defeats over the last hundred years so you could write your terrible articles. If you bothered going up to the deck and having a look the rugby has been great for years.

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fl 28 minutes ago

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you’re the stupidist man in the northern hemisphere

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Tom 1 hour ago

Did innovative England emerge strongest from the Six Nations?

Borthwick definitely deserves credit for the performance against Wales. He's been justly criticised for taking so long to get a performance out of them but it definitely feels like he was the architect of that win. He picked a very strangely balanced 23 and it played out perfectly. Fingers crossed Borthwick will take the shackles off now. If we went after Ireland with that level of determination and self belief it may have been a different result. That's not to say we would have been able to play in the same manner but it felt like the first time since last year's Ireland that the players were singing off the same hymn sheet. There was a shared purpose and everyone played their part to near perfection. Again, it was a poor Wales so can't get ahead of ourselves but I hope Borthwick will turn a corner.

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Alex Jackson 1 hour ago

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Amelia Jonathan 1 hour ago

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My name is Amelia Jonathan from the United States, Using this opportunity to thank Dr. Ughulu is a grateful thing to me, for over years I have been sick with Hepatitis B disease, I have done a lot of things to get cured of my diseases and nothing has worked out. I have taken different types of medication for it , but it still doesn’t work for me. I still keep going for a check up so that the doctor will tell me my disease has be gone, because i’m taking my medicine with no result nothing has been cured, I have spent a lot of money just to get cure of Hepatitis B. until my old time friend came to my place and saw what am going through, and then direct me to contact Dr. Ughulu who is a very powerful man, which I did explain my problem to Dr. Ughulu and send me a herbal remedy bottle and explain to me how I should drink it. So I started to drink the herbal tea in one week that I drink the herbal tea. I went for a check up to check if I’m cured from Hepatitis B disease, then the nurse told me nothing is wrong with me anymore and said I’m fine. I am the happiest person right now. I promise Dr Ughulu I will testify about his good work on the internet. Reach out to Dr. Ughulu Via: drughulupowerfulspelltemple@gmail.com Thank you so much sir for what you did for me you’re the best of all. TEXT OR CALL: +1(252) 409-1841 or website: https://drughulupowerfulsp.wixsite.com/my-site-ughulu WHATSAPP NUMBER: +1(720) 794-2516

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Amelia Jonathan 1 hour ago

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My name is Amelia Jonathan from the United States, Using this opportunity to thank Dr. Ughulu is a grateful thing to me, for over years I have been sick with Hepatitis B disease, I have done a lot of things to get cured of my diseases and nothing has worked out. I have taken different types of medication for it , but it still doesn’t work for me. I still keep going for a check up so that the doctor will tell me my disease has be gone, because i’m taking my medicine with no result nothing has been cured, I have spent a lot of money just to get cure of Hepatitis B. until my old time friend came to my place and saw what am going through, and then direct me to contact Dr. Ughulu who is a very powerful man, which I did explain my problem to Dr. Ughulu and send me a herbal remedy bottle and explain to me how I should drink it. So I started to drink the herbal tea in one week that I drink the herbal tea. I went for a check up to check if I’m cured from Hepatitis B disease, then the nurse told me nothing is wrong with me anymore and said I’m fine. I am the happiest person right now. I promise Dr Ughulu I will testify about his good work on the internet. Reach out to Dr. Ughulu Via: drughulupowerfulspelltemple@gmail.com Thank you so much sir for what you did for me you’re the best of all. TEXT OR CALL: +1(252) 409-1841 or website: https://drughulupowerfulsp.wixsite.com/my-site-ughulu WHATSAPP NUMBER: +1(720) 794-2516

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Bob Salad II 1 hour ago

Did innovative England emerge strongest from the Six Nations?

Possibly, but the Prem is high scoring, played fast and with high ball in play times, so I’m not sure it’s simply down to SH refs officiating.

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Tom 1 hour ago

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Start of the tournament I thought Morgan was guaranteed to go but given how the English backrow have performed in the back end of the 6N he's going to be lucky to make it. Realistically there aren't any Welshman who are guaranteed or even odds on to go… which is sad. Do they take Morgan and T Williams for the sake of the Welsh fans?

Tom Jordan will go as a utility player. He covers the whole backline. Kinghorn nailed on to start the first test.

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Bob Salad II 1 hour ago

Did innovative England emerge strongest from the Six Nations?

Through the lens of ‘scenarios’ as you put it, the AIs could also have been very different. Yes, Wales are currently the worst team in the NH, but even so, neither Ireland or France dominated them so emphatically and - in the case of Ireland, after Wales had shown some improvement on previous form.

England were always going to find some groove at some point, so I don’t buy the line that Borthwick is simply ‘lucky’ anymore than I didn’t buy the line that England were unlucky on tour against the ABs and through the AIs.

With a largely development squad being sent on tour against the Pumas this summer, we’ll have to wait until the AIs in November to see whether the performance against Wales was just an outlier or reflective of a team that are starting to click.

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d 1 hour ago

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.. and let’s face it, the bar for tipping out the incumbent isn’t that high.

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Tom 1 hour ago

Did innovative England emerge strongest from the Six Nations?

Maybe teams need to start heading the ball more? Genge at first receiver playing it through for Freeman? It's worked a few times by accident, just imagine what they could achieve with practice! Jamie Roberts could have been the Welsh Ronaldo!

13 Go to comments

Mzilikazi 2 hours ago

Did innovative England emerge strongest from the Six Nations?

Very interesting article, Nick. Thanks for writing. I have not even read a full report on the game yet, let alone watched it. So it is all news to me. Fascinating move, so many backrowers and 7’s on the field at the one time.

I must say though, that I do ponder on how well England would have done against the Boks, AB’s, or France playing as they have done at the end of the 6 N. I think any of those teams would have almost certainly exposed Earl playing at centre, and they would have been in a different world to Wales as opponents.

My view is that England have had a lot of good fortune in this 6 N. On another day, France would not have dropped so much ball, and would have defended those last two tries way better. Scotland would have beaten England had Russell got any one of three kicks between the posts. I do think that England still don’t fully use the back resources they have, and could be badly exposed by any one of the top three teams in the world, which I would see as the three I named above. Though Ireland still sit third, that is, imo, very tenuous.

And it has been a funny old 6 N this year, with Ireland also having had a fair measure of good fortune. They also could have lost the games against Italy, and Wales too. They have dropped away badly.

13 Go to comments

Tom 2 hours ago

Did innovative England emerge strongest from the Six Nations?

It's certainly hard to read too much into a demolition of a struggling Welsh side in terms of how that will transpire against better teams.

What I can say is that it was a very good performance. There was genuine trepidation about a resurgent Wales at home with nothing to lose and England blew them away. England weren't ruthless enough to do the same to Italy the week before. It's a step in the right direction. It would be really cool if we could take some of this innovation and build on it. I'd hate for it to be built on sand and come crashing down the next time a bomb squad trundles across the touchline.

13 Go to comments

AA 2 hours ago

Did innovative England emerge strongest from the Six Nations?

Firstly England were terrific for 82 minutes and deserve the plaudits.

Borthwick, though, must be the luckiest coach around .

Had a broken arm not occured Marcus would still be no 10 , had Russell put the kick over and France not dropped the ball , had Lawrence not been injured the scenario would be very different .

England beat the worst team in the northern hemisphere , let’s not get carried away .

The forwards scored 6 of the 10 tries and Mitchell’s was somewhat flukish .

The speed and power of play was the difference and the forwards were unrecognisable from previous games.

Had Marcus had such a ride in his games he too would have been praised for his play .

Ford came on against a poor and beaten team with the score 40 up . Easy peasy. Short memories fail to remember against Nz and Aus , top teams, he lost both games.

The changes were forced on Borthwick , not by natural selection and they have been all for the better.