Steve Borthwick insists he’s ignoring the ‘outside noise’ ahead of England’s Rugby World Cup opener… as national team boss defends Alex Mitchell and Jonny May picks for Argentina clash
- The England boss calmly explained the selections for his side’s opening game
- Borthwick’s men will take on Argentina in the first match of the World Cup
- Both Mitchell and May have become surprise inclusions in the starting XV
Soon after England had flown here from their distant base in northern France, ahead of a seismic World Cup opener, Steve Borthwick calmly explained the selections which were igniting a storm of debate back at home.
The national coach was in a defiant mood; about his team’s chances against Argentina and also about the players he had chosen for that daunting assignment. Alex Mitchell at scrum-half and Jonny May on the wing, had both come from outside the original tournament squad of 33 to earn a place in the XV. Dan Cole as another starter, at the age of 36. These were the calls being discussed, dissected and widely questioned.
But after a training phase full of intensity and renewed purpose up in leafy Le Touquet, by the English Channel, Borthwick arrived here with the focused look of a man with personal conviction – unfazed by the continuing ‘outside noise’. So he talked it all through, without fuss or fanfare.
The inclusion of Mitchell meant he had risen from fourth-choice scrum-half, originally, when the World Cup squad was named at the start of August, to become the man entrusted with the No 9 shirt against the mighty Pumas.
Borthwick revealed that the Northampton livewire’s eye-catching efforts in a losing cause against Fiji at Twickenham on August 26 had won him selection ahead of Ben Youngs and Danny Care, with the latter acting as bench under-study.
England boss Steve Borthwick has explained his selection for his side’s World Cup opener
Both Alex Mitchell (L) and Jonny May (R) will feature in the starting XV against Argentina
‘It is not what other people don’t bring,’ said the head coach. ‘Everyone brings strength to the team, but at scrum-half we have got a lot of depth. For this game, to start this game, what Mitch brings is what is right for this team and the combinations we have.
‘He was a dangerous running threat (versus Fiji). Everyone knows he is a dangerous running threat. Danny Care and Ben Youngs bring all kinds of strength and for me, each week is about ensuring I pick the best two scrum-halves to get the job done that week.
‘Immense credit goes to Mitch in that he was incredibly disappointed not to make the original squad. Every player I spoke to at that point, I asked to go away and ensure they were ready to be the next man in. An opportunity opened up. One of the positives that came out of that Fiji game was his performance. I thought he played well and he’s trained exceptionally well. He was ready to go.’
May, the veteran Gloucester wing, is someone at the other end of the international experience spectrum, but in the same selection category as Mitchell – having come from outside the 33 to burst into the first-choice side. He too managed it by auditioning well amid the rubble of England’s collapse against their last opponents, from the south Pacific.
‘Jonny’s preparation on a daily basis is an example to everyone,’ said Borthwick – who confirmed that rookie wing sensation Henry Arundell was fully fit and available for selection here. ‘He has been fantastic. Every training day, he has competed hard. I couldn’t ask more of him in terms of what he’s done, he’s been exemplary in that regard, which is credit to him.
‘Jonny has done every training session with us, then stepped into that Fijian game. I talked about the performance of Mitch and the performance of Jonny was also very good. He’s earned his selection.’
At tighthead prop, the era of Kyle Sinckler’s pre-eminence appears to be at an end, despite claims by the England management that he has been on a managed training load due to a niggling injury issue. Cole has been picked to start, as a bulwark against the giant Argentine pack, almost four years after his grim ordeal in the last World Cup Final, at the hands of the Springboks.
Borthwick confirmed that highly-rated Henry Arundell (above) will be available to play
The England boss insisted that he’s not focusing on the ‘outside noise’ ahead of the match
‘I think it says a huge amount about his character and a huge amount about him as a person,’ said Borthwick – who gave Cole renewed drive when he came to Leicester and turned the club around.
‘He’s been superb. He is one of those wise heads. Time seems to stand still when he speaks. He has wisdom that he can share, from all of the Test matches he has played.’
Despite his chronic lack of recent game-time, the recall of Tom Curry to the starting side was a far less contentious decision. England have sorely missed Sale’s flanker-dynamo, who has been identified as the missing piece in the malfunctioning Red Rose defence.
Borthwick spoke of the 25-year-old’s ‘fantastic physical condition’ after his recovery from an ankle injury which forced him to miss all the warm-up fixtures. It happened when he fell awkwardly from a lineout in training. Curry had missed the Six Nations too, due to injury, so he is desperate to make his first appearance of the year, belatedly.
Dan Cole will be hoping to make a big impact when he starts against Argentina on Saturday
‘It feels like I’ve been preparing for this for a while, in terms of… I did my hamstring, came back, did my hamstring, came back, did my hamstring,’ he said, after discussing the recovery from his latest setback. ‘So I think I’ve been well rehearsed in coming back from injury and I’ve put myself in a good spot for this game. I’ve trained well and I feel full of confidence.
‘The emotion is huge. The first game in a World Cup, the emotion is going to be high – we’re an extremely passionate England team. Going into this game, the way we’ve trained this last week, you can feel it building and that’s pretty special.
‘You just want to get out there and get going. First World Cup game, Marseille, a great place, going against a great team, there’s nowhere else you’d rather be. I can’t wait to take that step and I can’t wait to do it with everyone else.’
Asked if he believes that England, with backs against the wall, can deliver a special performance and result, Curry’s answer was emphatic. ‘Yeah. Yeah. It’s hard because you can’t write it down, but it’s a feeling. I think Saturday is going to be fun.’
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