| Venue: Principality Stadium, Cardiff Date: Saturday, 5 August Kick-off: 17:30 BST |
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England head coach Steve Borthwick says his ultimate 33-man squad for the World Cup is “fairly clear” with solely “one or two locations” to be finalised.
Borthwick, who names his squad on Monday, mentioned he’ll take three scrum-halves and fly-halves to France.
The determination means Marcus Smith and Danny Care are doubtless to be picked.
“Most of the 33 are fairly clear. There are clearly one or two locations written in pencil which want to be written in pen,” Borthwick informed BBC Sport.
In 2019 head coach Eddie Jones was allowed a 31-man squad and initially took two scrum-halves, calling up Ben Spencer as an injury replacement for the final, with Owen Farrell and George Ford as his fly-halves.
With World Rugby growing the squad measurement for the 2023 event Borthwick says that with solely six half-backs presently concerned, they’re all doubtless to journey.
“I feel it’s fairly clear given I’ve saved three scrum-halves and three fly-halves throughout the camp,” he mentioned.
The head coach additionally confused that place flexibility is “extremely useful”, prioritising gamers ready to play in a number of roles.
“There is a necessity to give you the option to adapt,” he mentioned. “We are going to have to do that in this event and we have now saved our squad fairly tight between every of our camps when it comes to the variety of gamers we have now had in camp.
“I’m actually conscious that there’s going to be a necessity for the gamers outdoors the 33 that shall be named on Monday to be prepared to be the subsequent man in. What I see with this squad now’s that they’ve constructed togetherness and conditioning and a job readability that anybody can slot into the 33.”
World Cup could be ‘dream come true’
On Saturday, fly-half Smith will begin his first sport for England since their record home defeat by France in the Six Nations.
However, the Harlequin doesn’t dwell on that sport, or dropping his beginning place to Saracens’ Farrell the next week.
“It was a tricky day to be part of and I’ve realized a number of classes from that,” mentioned the 24-year-old. “It has positively put me in a a lot better place as an individual and as a participant on the pitch.”
Sale Sharks fly-half Ford missed the Six Nations due to damage however was called into camp to help prepare for the France game, and on Saturday is set to play his first England Test since March 2022 off the bench.
With competitors alongside Farrell and Ford growing, Smith has loved Borthwick’s openness in making clear “the pecking order” however isn’t taking for assured his spot within the World Cup squad.
“Monday is an enormous day however there are nonetheless just a few days to go,” he mentioned. “I’m going to get pleasure from Friday’s group run after which the weekend. Cardiff is a particular place to play and I’m very grateful to play for England once more.”
The Harlequins playmaker additionally mentioned it will be “a dream come true” to play for England at his first World Cup.
“It could be fairly surreal to be sincere,” he added. “I have never actually thought of it. I can not outline my feelings proper now however fingers crossed for Monday. It would imply so much to me personally and my mum, dad and two youthful brothers who’ve sacrificed so much for me rising up.”
