England Boss Steve Borthwick Fears For Future Of Rugby As New Rules Brought In

England’s rugby head coach, Steve Borthwick, has raised concerns that recent rule changes could make rugby more like Australian rules football. The new laws, which were introduced to make high-ball contests fairer, are causing unintended changes to the game. Borthwick believes the law was rushed and should have been thought through more carefully.

 

 

 

For England’s upcoming match against South Africa, Borthwick has made several changes to his starting team. Full-back Freddie Steward, wing Ollie Sleightholme, scrum-half Jack van Poortvliet, and flanker Sam Underhill are all coming into the lineup. Steward, who is strong at handling high balls, was expected to return by South Africa’s coach, Rassie Erasmus, even before Borthwick announced his squad.

 

 

 

The rule changes have focused on restricting ‘escort runners’—players who used to block those chasing kicks. While the idea was to create a more dynamic game, Borthwick fears it could lead to more kicks, scrums, and unstructured play, which might make the game less exciting and closer to Australian rules football.

 

 

 

Borthwick also pointed out that the new rules were introduced only a week before England’s training camp, which left little time for players to adjust before major matches. He worries this could lead to an increase in kicking and scrums, which fans might not enjoy.

 

 

 

The changes to the team also come after some key injuries: Tom Curry and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso will miss the South Africa game due to concussions but are expected to return for England’s final match against Japan. Underhill, recovering from an ankle injury, is back as flanker, and Sleightholme, who scored two tries against Australia, will make his first start on the wing.