England fans send emphatic ultimatum to Steve Borthwick after latest red card
England fans are all saying one thing to head coach Steve Borthwick after yet another red card to one of his players in a dismal loss to Ireland.
Billy Vunipola was red carded in the second half for what is now becoming a trademark head shot for England, and will surely be handed a ban this week.
With only one No8 in the England squad, a ban may force Borthwick to reconsider his World Cup squad. Though England’s 33-man squad has already been named, it does not need to be submitted until the end of the month, meaning it could be subject to change. A slew of bans will obviously throw a spanner in the works, and the length of Vunipola’s ban with leave Borthwick to debate whether he takes the Saracen to the World Cup at all.
The benefit for Borthwick is that he does have No8 options should Vunipola cop a lengthy ban. Harlequins’ Alex Dombrandt and Saracens’ Tom Willis were omitted from the squad after playing against Wales two matches ago, but it is actually Gloucester’s Zach Mercer that is the name all England fans are mentioning.
Mercer was the shock omission from England’s World Cup training squad, but after three desperately sluggish performances in England’s warm-ups, they might need his vim and vigour at the back of the scrum.
This is what England fans and some former players have been saying online:
IRELAND XV: Hugo Keenan (UCD/Leinster); Mack Hansen (Galway Corinthians/Connacht), Garry Ringrose (UCD/Leinster), Bundee Aki (Galwegians/Connacht), James Lowe (Leinster); Ross Byrne (UCD/Leinster), Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster); Andrew Porter (UCD/Leinster), Dan Sheehan (Lansdowne/Leinster), Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster), Tadhg Beirne (Lansdowne/Munster), James Ryan (UCD/Leinster) (capt), Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster), Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster), Cian Prendergast (UCD/Connacht).
Replacements:Rob Herring (Ballynahinch/Ulster), Jeremy Loughman (Garryowen/Munster), Finlay Bealham (Buccaneers/Connacht), Joe McCarthy (Dublin University/Leinster), Caelan Doris (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster), Jack Crowley (Cork Constitution/Munster), Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster).
ENGLAND XV: Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers); Anthony Watson (Unattached), Joe Marchant (Stade Francais), Manu Tuilagi (Sale Sharks), Elliot Daly (Saracens); George Ford (Sale Sharks), Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers); Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears), Jamie George (Saracens), Will Stuart (Bath), Maro Itoje (Saracens), David Ribbans (Toulon), Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints) (capt), Ben Earl (Saracens), Billy Vunipola (Saracens).
Replacements: Theo Dan (Saracens), Joe Marler (Harlequins), Kyle Sinckler (Bristol Bears), Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers), Jack Willis (Toulouse), Danny Care (Harlequins), Marcus Smith (Harlequins), Ollie Lawrence (Bath).
