England Vs Japan: England’s centre choices for the Rugby World Cup 2023
The nominees at the centre for Steve Borthwick's team for France Rugby World Cup are inspected Steve Borthwick will name his 33-player group for the world cup on Aug 7, with as many as 70 names on a long list of those who have been told to remain accessible and fit. Until then, however, there will be various training camps both at home and abroad as Borthwick tries to get his squad into shape for global rugby’s centrepiece in France this autumn.
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Over a fortnight, one unit at a time, sports analytics is breaking down the depth that the England head trainer has at his disposal in each place. So far in our six-part series, we have inspected the front row, locks, back row and half-backs. Now is the turn of the centres.
Centres for the England Rugby World Cup team
Manu Tuilagi, Ollie Lawrence, Henry Slade, Joe Marchant, Dan Kelly, Alex Lozowski, Guy Porter, Fraser Dingwall, Seb Atkinson, Max Ojomoh and Sam James. A recurrent area of doubt for England has not become much stronger since 2019; or indeed over the early months of Borthwick’s tenancy. And we might as well begin with the elephant in the room. Owen Farrell will be a choice at inside centre, even if a main priority should be building around him at fly-half.
Dan Kelly, a tough ball player aware to RWC coach Borthwick and defence trainer Kevin Sinfield, appeared set on a return to the Test fold during the Six Nations before being ruined by injury. This summer it will be worth seeing if he can merge with Farrell as well as Nick Tompkins has done for Saracens. The 21-year-old is also a former club co-worker and a close friend of George Ford and won his sole England cap next to Marcus Smith two years ago.
As a specialist No 12, capable of issuing from the first receiver and punching holes, Kelly could nudge Ollie Lawrence to the outside centre role. The latter, a loud success story of England’s mixed Six Nations, seems at his most real beyond two passers with a bit more room. Manu Tuilagi’s form for Sale Sharks over the Premiership play-offs, as well as his skill and tangibly reassuring aura among teammates, all put him in a strong position for RWC 2023.
RWC: Henry Slade would add know-how, versatility and a left-footed kicking option
That said, the flinty Alex Lozowski is thought to be in contention on the back of another strong campaign with Saracens, and Joe Marchant covers the wing as well as a midfield spot. Guy Porter is likewise multi-faceted and well-known to the former Leicester Tigers coaches. Seb Atkinson and Max Ojomoh, two young inside centres, can kick on next term for Gloucester and Bath, singly.
Also included in the list above are Fraser Dingwall, a mainstay for free-flowing Northampton Saints, and Sam James, of Sale Sharks. Elliot Daly will be discussed later on in this series. While comfortable at the centre, he has been used there sparingly over his Test career to date. Rugby fans can buy England Rugby World Cup Tickets at exclusively discounted prices.
Picking a quartet of Tuilagi, Lawrence, Slade and Kelly would offer a multitude of possible combinations when one also factors in Farrell as a potential inside centre alongside either Ford or Marcus Smith. Clarity is crucial for England, but the ability to change up a backline within a Rugby World Cup match is always useful. Lozowski, of five caps got under Eddie Jones between 2017-18.
Japan Rugby World Cup team added to World Rugby's elite group of countries
World Rugby has altered the name of its group of elite state teams from "Tier 1" to "HighPerformance Unions" and involved Japan in the new men's 11-member group, the Japan Rugby Football Union said. As the first Asian state in the top group, Japan will have a better fortuitous to boost its existence in global rugby. Although, unlike the other 10 nations, Japan does not presently participate in either of the world's top annual races.
The Brave Blossoms, however, have shaped strong results at the last two RWCs. In 2015 in England, Japan won three of their four pool games, as well as a historic upset of South Africa. Four years later, Japan beat Ireland and Scotland at their home world cup to reach the quarterfinals for the first time.
Japan wants Rugby World Cup back in 2035
Japan Rugby Football Union chairman Kensuke Iwabuchi told World Rugby that Japan wants to host the men’s RWC again, in 2035. They also request to host the women’s contest in 2037. The next few world cup destinations are set in stone. England will host the women’s world cup in 2025 before Australia stage the men’s global contest in 2027 and the women’s in 2029. Rugby fans can buy Japan Rugby World Cup Tickets at exclusively discounted prices.
Then everything moves to the United States of America, where they will host the men’s World Cup in 2031 and the women’s in 2033. Iwabuchi has said that Japan wants Rugby World Cup action on their shoes again and that by then they want to be the number one side in the world when we host it. He also clarified that we’ve informed World Rugby that we want to do it then in 2035, and we will move forward looking at when the situations allow us to host it.
Japan 2019 was the last world cup put on with the old model, where host nations must assure the funding and monetary security of the whole event, as well as all the logistics, themselves. Going forward, world rugby takes on the greater financial and logistical load, in order, they say, to promise the best show possible.
Was Japan Rugby World Cup 2019 a success?
Japan wants RWC back, but how big success was it last time? According to Ernst and Young, the world cup 2019 produced a total of ¥38.9 billion (£259 million) in ticket income. It is also valued that around 242, 000 visitors visited Japan while the event was on. All told, EY stated that nearly £4.3bn was made in economic output during the 2019 global contest.
As for television in Japan, a total cumulative audience of 425 million tuned into RWC 2019. That is more than five times the Japanese viewership for England in 2015. Japan’s Pool A closer against Scotland in Yokohama hours after Typhoon Hagibis hits Japan was observed by a national peak record TV audience of 54.8 million. During the Rugby World Cup Final, a live average of 17.2 million admirers watched.
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