{"id":295075,"date":"2025-11-19T15:20:11","date_gmt":"2025-11-19T15:20:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/295075\/"},"modified":"2025-11-19T15:20:11","modified_gmt":"2025-11-19T15:20:11","slug":"why-england-rugby-is-poised-to-become-world-rugbys-no-2-team","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/295075\/","title":{"rendered":"Why England Rugby Is Poised to Become World Rugby’s No. 2 Team"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cautiously optimistic. That\u2019s how some expect England to feel after their 33\u201319 win over the All Blacks<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But now isn\u2019t the time to be timid. Now is the time to strike, and England<\/a> knows it.<\/p>\n

From the opening minutes against New Zealand, England presented a seasoned side \u2014 calm, patient and steady.<\/p>\n

They applied consistent pressure, pushing the All Blacks<\/a> back inch by inch. New Zealand still found two early tries within the first 20 minutes, but without England\u2019s defensive work, it could have been far worse.<\/p>\n

Instead of folding under a 0\u201312 deficit, England soldiered on. After Ollie Lawrence notched their first try, George Ford added two drop goals \u2014 scrappy points, but exactly what England needed to stay alive. After halftime, the switch flipped, and the rest is history.<\/p>\n

England\u2019s composure never wavered. The poised team that took the pitch showcased just how much they have grown since New Zealand toppled them in three consecutive matches last year. Their current 10-match winning streak only underscores their rise in form.<\/p>\n

Now ranked No. 3 in the World Rugby Rankings<\/a>, up from No. 4 the week prior, England has a legitimate shot at climbing to No. 2. It all comes down to Borthwick and his men.<\/p>\n

Steve Borthwick\u2019s Strategy Is Paying Off<\/p>\n

Many doubted him, and the constant backline reshuffling didn\u2019t help, but Steve Borthwick kept his word: he has made England a better team.<\/p>\n

The All Blacks would normally expose any cracks in a lineup. Yet even with experiments, including trying Tommy Freeman at No. 13, Borthwick\u2019s tactical adjustments appear to be working.<\/p>\n

England\u2019s ability to regain control against the world\u2019s No. 2 team reflects not only their mental fortitude but also Borthwick\u2019s clarity of vision. He\u2019s establishing structure, managing expectations and ensuring his squad stays composed in pressure moments.<\/p>\n

England\u2019s Balance of Youth and Experience<\/p>\n

Borthwick has crafted a roster that blends emerging talent with seasoned veterans.<\/p>\n

Twenty-year-old Henry Pollock \u2014 nominated for World Rugby Men\u2019s 15s Breakthrough Player of the Year \u2014 assisted Tom Roebuck\u2019s try against New Zealand and was instrumental in England\u2019s win over Australia.<\/p>\n

Noah Caluori has been called up for the Argentina match, with Ollie Lawrence, Jamie George and Tom Roebuck sidelined by injury. The 19-year-old scored five tries in his Premiership starting debut, immediately catching the attention of selectors.<\/p>\n

Though injured for the New Zealand meeting, Tommy Freeman has become an all-around contributor for England. These rising players could form the backbone of England\u2019s future.<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s George Ford \u2014 the veteran with 104 caps whose two drop goals kept England alive. His leadership, on and off the pitch, remains invaluable.<\/p>\n

Preview: England vs Argentina \u2014 What to Expect<\/p>\n

England\u2019s follow-up to the All Blacks win is equally crucial.<\/p>\n

Argentina, ranked No. 6, enters the Nov. 23 match after a 33\u201324 victory over Scotland. Despite trailing for 63 minutes, Los Pumas clawed back for a late win.<\/p>\n

Their resilience mirrors the resolve England showed against New Zealand, setting the stage for a compelling matchup.<\/p>\n

All eyes will be on Allianz Stadium at Twickenham as England chase their 11th consecutive win.<\/p>\n

2026 Six Nations Fixtures Give England a Smooth Start<\/p>\n

Looking ahead to Six Nations play come February 2026, England is slated for some smoother matches.<\/p>\n

England begins Round 1 with a test against Wales at Twickenham followed by a Round 2 test against Scotland at Murrayfield.<\/p>\n

This gives England time to start, or extend, their winning streak before moving onto tougher opponents like Ireland in Round 3 and France in Round 5.<\/p>\n

England’s 2026 Six Nations FixturesFeb. 7, 2026 \u2013 11:40 AM ET \u2013 vs. Wales \u2013 Allianz StadiumFeb. 14, 2026 \u2013 11:40 AM ET \u2013 at Scotland \u2013 Scottish Gas MurrayfieldFeb. 21, 2026 \u2013 9:10 AM ET \u2013 vs. Ireland \u2013 Allianz StadiumMar. 7, 2026 \u2013 11:40 AM ET \u2013 at Italy \u2013 Stadio OlimpicoMar. 14, 2026 \u2013 3:10 PM ET \u2013 at France \u2013 Stade de FranceLatest World Rugby Rankings – Nov. 17, 2025<\/p>\n

See the official rankings on World.Rugby here.<\/a><\/p>\n

South Africa \u2013 93.06New Zealand \u2013 90.33England \u2013 89.09Ireland \u2013 88.85France \u2013 87.07Argentina \u2013 85.30Australia \u2013 81.69Fiji \u2013 81.03Scotland \u2013 80.22Italy \u2013 78.98Georgia \u2013 74.69Wales \u2013 74.23Japan \u2013 72.58Spain \u2013 69.12Uruguay \u2013 68.52USA \u2013 68.26Samoa \u2013 66.94Chile \u2013 66.72Tonga \u2013 66.66Portugal \u2013 64.89Romania \u2013 62.16Belgium \u2013 61.81Hong Kong China \u2013 59.61Canada \u2013 58.85Zimbabwe \u2013 58.80Autumn Nations Series Rugby Schedule 2025Week 4 – Nov. 22-23Wales vs. New ZealandIreland vs. South AfricaFrance vs. AustraliaItaly vs. ChileScotland vs. TongaEngland vs. ArgentinaWeek 5 – Nov. 29How To Watch Rugby Matches In The United States On FloRugby<\/p>\n

Professional club rugby in Europe all streams on FloRugby and the FloSports app in the United States. FloRugby and FloSports also are the U.S. home to:\u00a0<\/p>\n

FloRugby also is home to match archives and match replays.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Join The Rugby Conversation On FloRugby Social<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Cautiously optimistic. That\u2019s how some expect England to feel after their 33\u201319 win over the All Blacks. But…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":295076,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[567],"tags":[64,63,760,85],"class_list":{"0":"post-295075","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-rugby","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-rugby","11":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/295075","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=295075"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/295075\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/295076"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=295075"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=295075"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=295075"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}