England will begin the 2023 Rugby World Cup as outsiders, but a friendly draw could allow Steve Borthwick’s side to progress deep into the tournament.
A team that looked ready to kick on after reaching the final in Japan four years ago has failed to develop as hoped, with England struggling for much of this cycle.
Borthwick was installed as head coach last December after the Rugby Football Union (RFU) parted ways with Eddie Jones, but the former lock has failed to deliver immediate impact, with a fourth-placed finish in his only Six Nations campaign.
Still, England are in what looks to be the easier half of the draw, away from France, New Zealand, South Africa and Ireland, and will hope they can come together quickly at the tournament to launch another tilt at the trophy.
Here is World Cup schedule for England and their possible route to the final. Get all the Rugby World Cup odds here.
England pool fixtures:
England are in Pool D alongside Argentina, Japan, Samoa and Chile.
Saturday 9 September: England 27-10 Argentina (Stade Velodrome, Marseille)
Sunday 17 September: England 34-12 Japan, Pool D (Stade de Nice)
Saturday 23 September: England 71-0 Chile, Pool D (Stade Pierre Mauroy, Lille)
Saturday 7 October: England vs Samoa, Pool D (Lille, 4.45pm)
QUARTER-FINALS
Sunday 15 October: Quarter-Final 3 (Winner Pool D vs Runner-Up Pool C) - Marseille, 4pm
SEMI-FINALS
Saturday 21 October: Semi-Final 2 (Winner of QF3 vs Winner of QF4) - Paris, 8pm
FINAL
Saturday 28 October: Winner of SF1 vs Winner of SF2, Paris, 8pm
If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch the event, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are and also with the terms of their service provider.
