England turned a stunning half-time deficit into the most unconvincing of wins over Samoa to finish their 2023 Rugby World Cup pool stage campaign with a 100 per cent record but find themselves with far more questions than answers heading into the knockouts.
Before this summer, England had never lost to a Pacific Island nation but following a historic warm-up defeat to Fiji at Twickenham and this fortunate let-off in Lille, they seem to have developed an Achilles heel at the worst possible time. As a quarter-final rematch against the Fijians looms next weekend, barring any Portuguese heroics in the group-stage finale on Sunday evening, England have an identity crisis.
