England must face farewell tour before focusing on future after World Cup heartbreak،
PARIS, France – About 15 hours after England’s agonizing 16-15 loss to South Africa, the hurt was still evident on Steve Borthwick’s face. He had already watched the match twice, but he was trying to draw attention to their bronze medal match against Argentina.
There’s nothing beyond this match yet. It is not yet the time to take stock of the state of English rugby, nor to salute the players whose Test career has only 80 minutes left. This will all come in time, as there is still work to be done in Paris, but the reality is that there is only one chance left of England coming together.
Friday’s bronze medal game against Argentina will be this team’s last hurray. Some of the stalwarts of this team will retire from Test service, retire or slide into the murky pool of selection purgatory – this is the group who are of Test playing age, but will be past the peak of their career when the next World Cup takes place in 2027.
That sense of impending finality helped fuel this journey to the semi-final – Joe Marler and Dan Cole referenced it ahead of their quarter-final against Fiji. They knew their Test careers were likely coming to an end after those six weeks in France and they wanted one last glorious chance to win the sport’s biggest prize. As All Blacks scrum-half Aaron Smith said after their victory over Argentina, every player dreams of going out on their shield like Richie McCaw did in 2015.
But for England and the players who are at the end of their Test careers, with the biggest prize elusive, some will have the Grand Slam under their belt, the 2019 World Cup silver medal and hope the bronze medal this time.
When the final whistle blew in this dramatic semi-final, the Stade de France pitch looked like one of those chaotic Renaissance scenes. You had a fight around the halfway line involving half the players. Elsewhere, some England players had already collapsed to the ground, distraught and exhausted, unable to get up for one last fight. Desolation had broken out; adrenaline diminishes to be replaced by grief. But for players like Freddie Steward and Ollie Lawrence, they will get another chance.
“In adversity, there is a seed there that can be something brilliant in the future,” Borthwick said about an hour after full time. “Right now, it’s too early to find that seed. We’re going to make sure we find it – we’ll take it and we’ll seize it and make sure it makes us stronger in the future.”
England put in a collective effort to move closer to the point of beating the Springboks. But an hour or so after full time, the players were reflecting on their individual stories, their journey to get there, within touching distance of a second World Cup final in as many tournaments and contemplating their own rugby ephemeral.
Previously, some late-career players moved into the next cycle as teams prioritized the first two years to secure a decent seed in the World Cup draw. But this time around, the draw for 2027 will take place in 2026, meaning coaches could choose to prioritize players who will be around in four years, rather than those who can help them on their journey up to this point.
Jonny May, 33, had already declared at the beginning of October that this was his last World Cup, and “very probably the last time he played for England”. Marler said before the Fiji game there was a collective bond between the older players that motivated them. “People like Ben Youngs, Courtney Lawes, Danny Care, Coley [Dan Cole]the guys we’ve been together with since we were 16 or 17. We have a close bond that motivates us and pushes us to make this last memory special.
Speaking shortly after South Africa’s defeat, Care wasn’t going to call time on his England career – that’s just not his way. “I went in and out like a yoyo for a long time,” Care said. “I’m always her and available. I’ve got the year with Harlequins. If there’s a need for me or if I can still help, then I’ll never say no. We’ll see what happens.” For his scrum-half partner Youngs, he is the record holder for caps in English men’s rugby with 126 caps and has had an incredible career.
Cole’s redemption story is also remarkable, given that for so long it looked like the 2019 World Cup final would be his last appearance in an England shirt. It was a painful day for him, with England losing the match at scrum, but his form at Leicester earned him a recall under Borthwick and there he started in the semi-final four years later. He might still have another Six Nations in him. “I’ve known Coley for a very long time,” Borthwick said. “After leaving England [as assistant coach] and joined the Leicester Tigers [as head coach in February 2020] he was a hugely important player in turning around the fortunes of this great club, and incredibly supportive of me as head coach in terms of what I was trying to do with the team.
“I’m very grateful to him. When I got here it didn’t take too long to convince him to come and join me with England. He won his 100th cap in the Ireland game. What a tremendous servant of English rugby he is, and continues to be.”
But the one who ended his career in England was Lawes. The 34-year-old captained his country, poured his heart and soul into the jersey and was monumental against South Africa. But now comes the time to put his family first. “It was my last World Cup. Kids are at that age where they need their dad,” Lawes said. “It would be nice to be with them more, to provide the crowd with much-needed structure.
“It’s a bit of an end of an era, but it’s been a real honor for me to represent England for so long. It goes by quickly. I’m proud of how far I’ve come. not always been the case. There are a lot of weak points in there, but I managed.
“I’m not really an emotional person, but to be honest, it’s been a huge honor. To be able to finish with this group, it’s something I’ll cherish forever.”
When England begin their Six Nations campaign in Italy on February 3, there will be many notable absentees and new faces. David Ribbans and Joe Marchant will move to France after this World Cup and are unavailable. The same goes for Jack Willis who is at Toulouse but Henry Arundell is available although he plays for Racing 92 as he was part of the London Irish side who were left without a club when they went bankrupt in June.
Then there are the old guard like Cole, Ben Youngs and Lawes, those who were there in 2011 and have been coached by Martin Johnson, Stuart Lancaster, Eddie Jones and now Borthwick. Marler and Care could also ride off into the sunset.
But Borthwick wants a win against Argentina on Friday, the sentimentality can wait. “The fact that we had more players aged 25 and under than any other team in the semi-final shows that there are a lot of good young players who have benefited from that experience,” Borthwick said. “There are players with some experience who still have many years ahead of them in the England shirt and I think this game on Friday night is another important game for us.
“It’s important for many reasons. I want the players to play big games at the World Cup and I want them to have that experience, and I think that’s another aspect that will benefit all those players and this team as it moves forward.”
But cherish this opportunity, because you won’t see this group together again. For some, this is their farewell tour, and there will be no encore.
