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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Gerard Meagher

Steve Borthwick confident England can cope if Owen Farrell gets World Cup ban

Owen Farrell walks off after receiving a yellow card against Wales that was upgraded to red
Owen Farrell walks off after receiving a yellow card, which was escalated to a red following a review. Photograph: David Rogers/Getty Images

Owen Farrell will discover his World Cup fate at a disciplinary hearing on Tuesday after a red card against Wales that threatens to derail England’s campaign, but Steve Borthwick has insisted his side are “blessed” with fly-half options.

The England captain is facing a ban that would rule him out of the start of the tournament, with Borthwick adamant he will wait on the outcome of Farrell’s hearing before overhauling his plans. George Ford impressed off the bench on Saturday and is the favourite to assume the mantle as first-choice No 10 while Marcus Smith is another back-up option.

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