England captain Maro Itoje and head coach Steve Borthwick have both said their aims are “definitely to win the 2027 Rugby World Cup” in Australia, reacting to Wednesday’s pool stage draw.Â
England will face Wales, Tonga and Zimbabwe in the pool stages in 2027, and should they top their pool are likely to avoid South Africa, New Zealand and France – provided all three win their respective groups – until the final.
The clash between England and Wales will be a first World Cup meeting between the two since 2015 when Warren Gatland’s visitors sensationally beat the tournament hosts at Twickenham. England would later fail to progress to the knockout stages.
“Just incredibly excited. It’s nice to know who we are playing at this stage. It’s no longer a guessing game,” Itoje told media.
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Itoje and Borthwick react to England drawing Wales in their 2027 World Cup pool
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“World Cups are always so exciting. It’s a time that I can definitely speak on behalf of the players, we definitely look forward to and we definitely relish the opportunity. The overwhelming feeling is excitement.
“I watched the game [England vs Wales, 2015 World Cup]. I was supporting England, obviously, as a fan at the time.
“Wales obviously won the game and it wasn’t the best day from an England point of view. But hopefully this time around it will be a little bit different.”
For Borthwick, Australia 2027 will be his fifth World Cup involvement in one form or another.
The 46-year-old travelled as a player to the 2007 World Cup, worked as assistant coach under Eddie Jones with Japan in 2015 and England in 2019, and led England as head coach in 2023.
His main learning over those experiences centres on small margins.
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Sky Sports’ James Coles explains who England will face at the 2027 Rugby World Cup
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Watch the Rugby World Cup 2027 draw where England and Wales were drawn together in Pool F, with Ireland and Scotland grouped together for a third successive World Cup
“I’ve been really privileged. Fortunate from a playing point of view at the 2007 World Cup, had its ups and downs, Brian [Ashton] led a team to the Rugby World Cup final.
“Then in 2015 with Japan where we lost one game in the group and almost qualified to the quarters, then 2019 went to the final [with England as assistant coach] and obviously 2023 lost narrowly in the semi-final.
“I think each of those experiences shows that the margins of games are incredibly small, that each moment is potentially the huge moment that is the defining aspect of the game.
“At that point in time you don’t know that it’s the key moment, so that demands a certain concentration, it demands a certain resilience from the players and it comes down to getting the detail right, which is where the coaching team needs to help prepare the players to be prepared for that level of detail.
“Each and every team in the World Cup has more time to prepare for it and that means that each one of those crucial aspects of the game has more preparation time within it, so we expect it to come down to just a few moments.”
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‘Our goal is definitely to win the 2027 Rugby World Cup’
For both Borthwick and Itoje, their expectations and aims for the World Cup in two years time are clear: to go all the way to the final and win it.
“Our ambition is to do very well and win this tournament, that’s definitely our goal, our aim,” Itoje said. “That’s our objective but to do that we know we have to make sure we get our preparation right and the next two years leading to the World Cup is massive.
“Rome wasn’t built in a day so we need to build throughout time and make sure we’re tracking in the right direction.
“I relish the expectation because the converse would not be ideal. If this England team had no expectation or you played for a team that had no hopes, that’s a situation which I don’t want to be in.
“It’s all part of the parcel, if we want to go out and do what we want to do, we have to walk that line and welcome whatever comes and if that’s part of it [two years of England fan expectation] we have to welcome that.
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Itoje says he will ‘relish’ two years of expectation from England fans heading into the World Cup
“I just think the experiences we’re going to have from now to the World Cup will put us in good stead. We’re not playing bad teams, all the teams we’re playing leading up to the World Cup are high quality and teams that pretty much all of will have the same level of ambition as us.
“The more experience we have, the more battle-hardened we are, the more opportunities we have to play the best teams in the world, I think all of those things will put us in good stead.”
Borthwick added comments of a very similar tone: “We’ve been very clear in saying that our aim is to win the World Cup in 2027. A number of nations will be saying the same. We are working towards it.
“I think the team is progressing, it’s transitioned a lot since the last World Cup over the last 18 months and we have two years to continue to work exceptionally hard to be in the position to achieve that goal. I want to make sure our supporters in Australia in two years’ time have loads to cheer about.
“I want to make sure also that along the way we make a load of incredible memories with them and give them plenty to celebrate along the journey.
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Borthwick says he and the squad have been ‘very clear’ of their intent, and says they have progressed over the last 18 months
“It’s an exciting young England team that we have. I think they’re on a path of development. We want to accelerate that path of development which is going to come back to how hard the players work in their preparation.
“Their preparation outside of camp and then their preparation in camp, and we’ll make sure we’re putting in that hard work.”
Tandy: Wales will be much better team than we are now at 2027 World Cup
Speaking after the draw, Wales coach Steve Tandy was confident his side would be in a much more positive place come the start of the tournament in nearly two years’ time:
“Definitely. And I think, like I said after every game, apart from probably the one at the weekend [73-0 defeat to South Africa], there’s always something to take from it.
“And I think the age of the group, they need to experience different things and throughout the campaign I do believe there’s been growth.
“It’s making sure we learn and adapt from that and obviously building through different experiences, then look at the summer tour coming up and obviously the Six Nations, just making sure incrementally we’re getting better and then, when we get to the World Cup, we’re a much better team than we are now.
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Wales head coach Steve Tandy said on Wednesday he was confident his side would be in a far better place come 2027
“It’s just exciting. Obviously, going to the World Cup, seeing the draw, different format, with smaller groups, just can’t wait to get started. I know it’s two years away but the excitement builds straight away.
“Those big games against England are always massive and being in the World Cup they seem bigger.
“But Tonga and Zimbabwe pose different challenges as well. So, I think, overall, just unbelievably exciting and obviously, the England game, most people will focus on.”
What is the World Cup format?
The simple part of the format is that the top two teams from each pool will progress into the final 16. They will be joined by the four best third-place nations.
Then, the top team in Pools A, B, C and D will play a team that finished third.The winners of Pools E and F take on the runners-up from Pools D and B.The runners-up from Pools A and C will face the runners-up from Pools E and F.
The tournament takes place in Australia from October 1 to November 13 2027.
‘Favourable draw for England’
Sky Sports’ Michael Cantillon:
“All in all, England’s draw is a very positive one.
“Drawing Wales in their pool may be a headline but they avoided the likes of hosts Australia and Scotland from the same band.
“England also landed in one of the most desired pools in E or F – reason being, the pool winners of those two pools avoid other pool winners until the semi-finals. Every other pool winner will face another in the quarters. France were the other fortunate side in this respect.
“More good news would fall England’s way were they to top their pool as South Africa, New Zealand and France would be on the opposite side of the draw until the final should those three win their pools.
“One note of warning: while England’s quarter-final is scheduled to be against a pool runner-up, this would be from Pool A, so is likely to be hosts Australia. Borthwick’s side are a stronger outfit than the Wallabies, but home advantage could be huge.”