Rugby World Cup: dying a few months ago, the XV de la Rose 3rd has regained its shine

We imagine that this Saturday evening the English will watch the All Blacks-Springboks grand final with a slight bitterness. Seven days ago they were close to winning the XXL against South Africa (lost 15-16) in the semi-finals and still regret those final fateful minutes. But once the evening beer or gin and tonic is downed, players and fans will be able to remember that they came from afar. And this bronze medal, won on Friday evening at the end of the great battle with Argentina (26-23), is enough for their current happiness. Enough to enjoy the finals between two of world rugby’s best players.

Humiliating defeats and profitable draws

England’s future looks brighter than it did in the early days of the competition. Nobody except coach Steve Borthwick believed in such a course. Destroyed by its media and some of its former glory due to a lack of desire and unimaginative play, the XV de la Rose was forced to leave to blossom again. A method that is not very pleasant for fans, but has proven itself well at this World Cup. Immune to criticism, Steve Borthwick and his team created conditions conducive to England’s performance, who, let’s not forget, were able to take advantage of a favorable draw to the semi-finals, away from the monsters (Ireland, New Zealand, France or South Africa).

Appointed in December 2022 to replace returning Australian Eddie Jones, Borthwick endured a difficult few months with humiliating defeats at home to Scotland (23-29), France (10-53) or Fiji (22-30). Leading a group in the re-enactment and with very young players such as Ben Earl, Tom Curry (25), Freddie Steward or George Martin (22), Coach Rose asked for time to find chemistry with seniors such as captain Owen Farrell. A successful mission throughout the World Cup matches, reaching the top against the Springboks in the half, only losing slightly with his beliefs (football, slow pace, conquest, aggressiveness).

“It wasn’t perfect, but we found a way to win.”

“At the start of the Six Nations we were trying to lay the foundations of the game we wanted to play,” explains Owen Farrell today. Along the way, we did not get the expected results, and the same thing happened in the preparatory matches. But as soon as we arrived here, we had the feeling that we were progressing day by day, creating something throughout this competition. This team has a bright future and Steve is at the helm. Well done to all participants. »

The English federation will have to confirm this, but doubts appear to have been put to rest regarding Steve Borthwick, who is due to continue his rebuild during the 2024 VI Nations. It will be without Ben Young, the scrum-half, or Courtney Lawes, the second or third row, recently in resignation. More departures are expected and even Borthwick must wonder what the team will look like on February 3 when it takes part in the tournament in Rome, Italy. “I have already started work,” the coach smiled at the press conference. “This team is constantly evolving,” sums up Owen Farrell. We are going to take advantage of the weekend and get back to work, first with the club and then with the selection. »

Now let’s go to the Tournament!

“I’m very proud of the work we’ve done,” continues Steve Borthwick. I’m happy for the players who worked so hard. We won six out of seven matches and lost to the world champions by one point. I always believed in this team. It’s very touching. Not everything was perfect, but we found a way to win games. “. Before the last message to the British press, without any irony: “Thank you for your work. I know we haven’t always agreed, but we all want English rugby to win. We agree on that.” See you at the end of winter to find out whether Rose will retain her autumn colors.