For better or worse the defining game of England’s World Cup campaign is nigh. Beat Fiji on Sunday and they can relocate up to Paris for the rest of the tournament with heads held high. Lose and it will be the end of a hugely pot-holed road, with frustrated supporters entitled to ask how much progress has ultimately been made over the past two tumultuous years.
The truth of the matter is no-one can be wholly sure which of the two outcomes will unfold. Once upon a time it would have been seen as inconceivable for England to lose to Fiji twice in the space of seven weeks, having only just sneaked past Samoa last weekend. These days almost anything feels possible and the Fijians are arguably the more predictable of the two opposing teams.
