Aside from the sea views, the low-key town of Le Touquet on the Channel coast and bustling, cosmopolitan Nice on the Côte d’Azur could not feel more different. The two distant French cousins are also separated by about 900km but at least the long commute before Sunday’s game against Japan gives England the chance to reflect and contemplate the bigger picture.
Steve Borthwick’s team have been looking visibly more upbeat in the wake of last weekend’s 14-man win over Argentina and why not? Beat the Brave Blossoms and Chile and they then have a fortnight’s gap before their final pool game against Samoa on 7 October. Beyond that? A quarter-final against Eddie Jones’s Australia is not yet booked but seems almost written in the stars.
