England coach sees new options after three fly-halves experiment against Chile in Rugby World Cup rout

LILLE – England coach Steve Borthwick said playing three fly-halves for part of Saturday’s

71-0 thrashing of Chile

had brought a new dimension to his side that he could deploy again in future.

After a more conservative approach in wins over Argentina and Japan, focused on George Ford’s kicking game, England threw off the shackles, running in 11 tries with Marcus Smith starting at fullback and helping provide the spark they have lacked.

Borthwick praised his team for getting past a tricky first 20 minutes, as the tries then flowed before Ford came off the bench as fly-half and captain Owen Farrell switched to centre, with Smith starting for the first time at fullback.

“As I’ve been saying for quite a long period now, I think this squad are packed full of talent and it’s packed full of different options. I think you saw it today,” he told a news conference after their third victory in Pool D in France.

“To be able to change that in the game to then have Owen, George and Marcus on the pitch I thought brought another dimension. So it certainly gives options for the future.”

The England coach also praised 20-year-old Man of the Match Henry Arundell, who equalled an England record of five tries on his Rugby World Cup debut. Theo Dan (twice), Bevan Rodd, Jack Willis and Smith (twice) also crossed the line.

“He’s a fantastic finisher. The message to him was to bring his point of difference onto the pitch and back himself and he certainly did that,” Borthwick said.

Saturday’s victory means England have taken a decisive stride towards the quarter-finals.

They are top on 14 points and can be denied a knockout berth only if they lose to Samoa and results conspire to produce a three-way tie, when points difference would be decisive.

The England coach did not give hints on his team for their next Test against the Samoans in two weeks, insisting the Chile match should not be viewed as a tryout of reserves but instead as proof of the squad’s depth.

He said the players would now be given a few days off and then return as a full and fit 33 now that flanker Tom Curry’s two-match suspension has ended.

Coach Pablo Lemoine

said Chile, the lowest-ranked team in France, never had a chance of competing

, having never previously played opposition of similar calibre. 

He said: “I’m not really disappointed. Sorry, that’s the reality, that’s what is happening with the rankings. When we come here, we are part of the show but we never can play the games because we’ve never played that kind of game during the cycle between the World Cups.

“I hope that changes because it’s not good for the players or for the supporters.

“The score is completely unfair.” 

Captain Martin Sigren took a slightly more optimistic view than his coach of the evening at Stade Pierre-Mauroy.

“A tough lesson,” he said. “Not one that we haven’t had before.

“It’s impossible not to remember that four years ago, we were getting the same results against Canada, against USA. We were losing games against Brazil.

“Four years later, look at us, we’re here, so I have to hold on to that. I cannot let my arms drop. We will keep on working, maybe four years later the results will be different.” 

Meanwhile, former England coach Eddie Jones has been interviewed to take over as Japan coach, reports said on Sunday, casting doubt over his future in the middle of Australia’s stuttering World Cup campaign.

He took over the Wallabies in January, shortly after being sacked by England. REUTERS, AFP