England’s head coach Steve Borthwick has voiced concerns that rugby could come to mirror Australian rules football due to the hasty implementation of a new law directive intended to ensure fairer contests for high balls.
Borthwick has made strategic team changes for the upcoming bout against South Africa, introducing full-back Freddie Steward, wing Ollie Sleightholme, scrum-half Jack van Poortvliet, and flanker Sam Underhill into the starting line-up.
The inclusion of Steward, adept at dealing with high balls and whose recall was anticipated by Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus even before Borthwick revealed his squad, acknowledges the repercussions of World Rugby’s recent clampdown on ‘escort runners’, who obstruct kick-chasers.
The hope had been for a more dynamic and open playing field, but England contends that the directive exemplifies the law of unintended effects. Borthwick is adamant that its adoption required a more considered approach.
“You don’t want to turn rugby union into Aussie rules. I thought our game was in pretty good shape. There has been a fundamental change here,” he said.
Borthwick noted an upswing in the number of kicks and scrums, as well as the frequency of contestable kicks and loose balls – a trend he expects to continue escalating.
Reflecting on the process, Borthwick remarked: “In hindsight, it could have been dealt with differently. We effectively received the information about it a week before we came into camp.
“At that point in time, no players had played with it and we’re now putting it on to high level Tests that are effectively the biggest stage of world rugby other than the World Cup.
“I will be really interested to see where this goes because currently I see it only leading to more kicking and more scrums.
“Yes there will be more unstructured possession but I’m not sure everyone wants to watch more kicking and more scrums. I don’t think anyone wants it to turn into Aussie rules.”
Erasmus believes Steward will be “devastating” because the directive has placed a premium on his expertise in the air and while Borthwick was more measured in his words, he agrees that the 6ft 5in Leicester full-back will now come into his own.
Steward slipped behind George Furbank in the pecking order at 15 midway through this year’s Six Nations but having appeared in just three of England’s 10 Tests so far in 2024, he now finds himself taking centre stage at Allianz Stadium.
“That contestable kicking game means that anyone who has strengths in that area is going to be very important in this game,” Borthwick said.
Furbank and scrum-half Ben Spencer started the last-gasp losses to New Zealand and Australia that have turned Saturday’s showdown into a must-win encounter, but both have jettisoned from the 23 entirely to make way for Steward and Van Poortvliet.
Van Poortvliet, who was England’s first-choice scrum-half heading into the World Cup, suffered an ankle injury in the warm-up match against Wales at Twickenham and has since been sidelined by Borthwick.
The starting XV sees two other changes due to Tom Curry and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso being ruled out of the South Africa match due to concussions sustained during the Wallabies game.
They are expected to return for the autumn climax against Japan on November 24. Underhill, having recovered from an ankle issue that disrupted the start of his season, is selected as openside flanker.
Sleightholme, who scored two tries against Australia, will make his first start on the left wing.
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