As England’s players let off steam with a headers and volleys warm-up session, Steve Borthwick kept the Red Rose squad’s real World Cup balls in the air.
In tribute to Joe Marler’s headed assist for Courtney Lawes’ crucial try in Sunday’s 34-12 bonus-point win over Japan in Nice, England indulged in a classic game of football-tennis back here in northern France.
England always decompress when returning here, far from the World Cup’s madding crowd. The squad jumped at the chance to prove themselves Marler’s footballing equals on Le Touquet’s indoor tennis courts yesterday — with varying degrees of success.
Tom Curry exploited his powerful neck muscles to deliver a thumping header, while Lewis Ludlam displayed some tidy footwork. Throw in plenty of agricultural hoofing, and England were in high spirits to launch themselves into another week’s Test graft.
Once the window-dressing warm-up was at an end, the players ground into the detail of prepping to take on Chile in Lille on Saturday — and that is where the real juggling comes in.
England are two wins from two in Pool D, on course for the quarter-finals and playing the team ranked 22nd in the world this weekend. This match has rest and rotation written all over it. Borthwick’s big challenge will be to balance those needs with keeping all his frontline players fresh.
Forwards Bevan Rodd, Jack Walker and Jack Willis are yet to feature, with backs Henry Arundell and Max Malins also waiting for a chance to shine; Owen Farrell is poised for his first action after completing his four-match suspension. Tom Curry will complete his two-match ban, freeing up the Sale powerhouse flanker to return for the final Pool D clash against Samoa.
England need to give players chances to prove a point this weekend, but moreover, they simply must win. Prudence may lead Borthwick to stand down the likes of Jamie George, Courtney Lawes and Manu Tuilagi, given the trio’s importance to England’s strongest line-up and game-plan. Saracens hooker Theo Dan, Leicester forward George Martin and Toulouse flanker Willis could well be among those to claim run-outs.
The challenge to those stepping into the side is complex. Any attempt to advance individual aims ahead of the collective will backfire in the presence of the laser-focused Borthwick; the path into the strongest XV is only found by refusing to seek it. England’s fringe players simply have to trust that the coaches will appraise their team collective focus.
Borthwick has been true to his word on that front so far, promoting Alex Mitchell and Jonny May into his two starting line-ups, despite omitting both from his original 33-man squad.
Just like those headers and volleys, if Borthwick tees them up and the fringe players knock them down, England can emerge from a delicate balancing act with a quarter-final place all but in the back of the net.
