Eddie rings changes
Jones wants revamped side to heal Argentina wounds £15,000 win bonuses if Red Roses rule the world
EDDIE JONES was last night mulling a selection revamp to add fresh power and pace to his England side, in the hope of igniting a backlash victory against Japan at Twickenham on Saturday.
The head coach will name his line-up this morning and Sportsmail understands there could be up to four changes to the starting XV, in the aftermath of the shock defeat by Argentina last Sunday.
Sam Simmonds and uncapped Northampton lock David Ribbans are contenders for promotion to the pack. Billy Vunipola is under pressure after several handling errors in the Pumas clash, while Ribbans could replace Alex Coles in the second row.
Jack van Poortvliet and Jonny May may also come into the backline, while hooker Jamie George is expected to be in the matchday squad after his remarkable recovery from a broken foot.
Japan represent dangerous opposition, and not because they gave New Zealand a scare last month. In 2018, Jones’ experimental team were caught cold by the Japanese, who led 15-10 at Twickenham to set up a monumental upset before England rallied in the last quarter to win 35-15.
Jack Nowell, deployed in midfield in that game, said yesterday: ‘We didn’t give Japan the respect they deserved. We are not going to go into this game with the same sort of thing. It is a massive game. We are treating this as a proper Test and obviously a reaction from the Argentina game.’
Mako Vunipola also guarded against complacency, adding: ‘They have weapons that can break you open from anywhere. They are no longer a team where you can rock up and be all right.’ ENGLAND (probable): Steward; Nowell, Tuilagi, Farrell (capt), May; Smith, Van Poortvliet; Genge, Cowan-Dickie, Sinckler; D Ribbans, J Hill; Itoje, Simmonds, Curry. Kick-off: Saturday, 3.15pm.
TV: on Amazon Prime.
SIMON MIDDLETON’S Red Roses insist they are ready to seal World Cup glory and hope victory in New Zealand can inspire a new generation of women’s rugby supporters. England take on the hosts in Saturday’s final in front of a sold-out 40,000-strong Auckland crowd for a tie which has the potential to send the female game to a new level.
And should Middleton’s side come out on top, each England player will receive a World Cup win bonus of £15,000 regardless of how many minutes they have played in New Zealand. While the sum pales into insignificance compared to the money on offer in men’s rugby, it would be the biggest total handed out by the he RFU to their women’s players. An England victory would add a much-needed boost to the country’s rugby fans. Financial chaos and uncertainty have dominated the men’s season to date, but the female side have been a rare bright spark.
‘If we win on Saturday hopefully it would be a big boost for women’s sport,’ said England prop Sarah Bern. ‘We saw the English football girls win the Euros and the amount of support that generated not only for them, but women in general.
‘It could be a massive win not just for English rugby but also women in sport. To play in front of a huge crowd is something we have prepared for. We are all looking forward to the ultimate challenge. If you are not looking forward to this, you are probably in the wrong sport.’
England are looking for a 31st straight victory at Eden Park, but the Black Ferns — guided by mastermind coach Wayne Smith — will be their toughest challenge yet.
‘We have put in so much work over the last two or three years,’ said Bern. ‘Through lockdown we all trained so hard. For the dedication everyone has put in, it would be the cherry on top. ‘Everyone plays rugby to win a World Cup. Doing that would mean a lot to everyone individually and be the biggest accolade we could get.’ England’s World Cup final team sees Ellie Kildunne replace the injured Helena Rowland at full back with centre Holly Aitchison and wing Lydia Thompson also coming into the starting XV. Middleton’s continuity of selection up front and choice of six forwards on the bench is confirmation he will not be straying from the trusted game plan, which revolves around their strong driving maul and set-piece dominance.
New Zealand, by their own admission, have embraced playing rugby ‘chaos’ with Smith encouraging his players to go for broke in attack. After two superb semi-finals, the final will be one to savour. Bern said: ‘We definitely have a game plan and it is something we work really, really hard on. I think it Is going to be a really exciting game to watch and it will definitely be a clash of styles.’ ENGLAND: Kildunne; Thompson, Scarratt, Aitchison, Dow; Harison, Infante; Cornborough, Cokayne, Bern; Aldcroft, Ward; Matthews, Packer, Hunter (capt). Kick-off: Saturday, 6.30am.
TV: LIVE on ITV from 6am.