Steve Borthwick is set to lead England Rugby until the 2027 Rugby World Cup, with his RFU contract extending through the tournament. <\/p>\n
Join our Breaking News and Top Stories WhatsApp community<\/a>\u00a0for all the latest news direct to your phone.<\/p>\n Despite some rocky moments, the RFU is opting for stability over chaos\u2014at least for now.<\/p>\n From Chaos to Bronze\u2026 and Back Again<\/p>\n Two years ago, England sacked Eddie Jones after a run of poor results. In came Borthwick, who navigated a favourable World Cup draw and dragged England to an unexpected bronze medal. But what followed was anything but smooth sailing.<\/p>\n A string of narrow defeats to top-tier opposition, including three consecutive home losses to southern hemisphere heavyweights, left fans disillusioned. The mood was grim, and Borthwick was under fire. Even a captaincy change couldn\u2019t prevent a five-point loss in Dublin, punctuated by yet another second-half collapse. Things were going downhill\u2014fast.<\/p>\n A Twist of Fate: Fortunes Flip in Spring<\/p>\n Then came the turnaround. England shocked France and rode their luck against Scotland. Both games could have gone the other way, but these gritty wins injected belief into a squad that had consistently promised more than they delivered.<\/p>\n With momentum building, they hammered Italy and blew Wales away. In just one Six Nations campaign, England\u2019s back row transformed into a dominant force, and the fly-half pulled the strings with precision. Sure, there are still questions in the midfield, and their phase play needs tightening, but England emerged as the one team that truly exceeded expectations.<\/p>\n Learning from Eddie and Clive<\/p>\n The RFU isn\u2019t taking chances. They\u2019re learning from the prolonged reigns of Eddie Jones and Sir Clive Woodward that both ended ugly. Whether England thrives or stumbles in Australia, the expectation is that Borthwick will step aside after 2027.<\/p>\n For now, though, England is banking on consistency\u2014and hoping Borthwick\u2019s steady hand will guide them to new heights.<\/p>\n EDITORS PICKS:<\/p>\n \u201cWallabies bound\u201d \u2013 5 Ex-England players that could swap nations for 2027 Rugby World Cup<\/p>\n Due to the current World Rugby laws regarding international representation, an individual can undergo a three-year (36 month) stand down period from one nation, before then playing for a separate country in which they qualify for through ancestry. <\/p>\n England are at risk of losing an array of top stars to this law, with the latest departure witnessed just a fortnight ago. Jacob Umaga became the latest former England player to run-out for a new nation, as the Benetton fly half made his debut for Samoa, in the Summer clash with Scotland. Umaga last played for England in 2022, when Eddie Jones awarded the then Wasps man his debut against the United States. <\/p>\n Umaga went underutilised for the rest of his time in the Premiership, before signing with Benetton Treviso in the United Rugby Championship following the collapse of his former club. Umaga would then sign a contract extension with the Italian side, to end his eligibility with England and pivot towards a Test career with the Pacific Island nation of Samoa. <\/p>\n Multiple former England stars now ply their trade \u2018in exile\u2019 of the Premiership, or are eligible to represent a new nation having spent more than three years away from the Test match stage. In this article, we will review some former England players that could be on their way to the 2027 Rugby World Cup, and don the colours of a new nation for the tournament out in Australia.<\/p>\n 1. David Ribbans \u2013 South Africa (Eligible in 2026)<\/p>\n England fans have certainly missed the contributions of lock David Ribbans, with a possible change to green and gold on the cards for the South-African born second row. Whilst Ribbans has never ran out in a Test match for the Springboks, the former Western Province man has given Rassie Erasmus plenty of reason to select him for the 2027 Rugby World Cup. <\/p>\n Ribbans has been tearing up trees with RC Toulon in the Top 14, since departing England following the 2023 Rugby World Cup. The 29-year-old is in the form of his life, with a place rightfully earned in the illustrious Top 14 Team of the Season for the latest 2024\/25 campaign. <\/p>\n Ribbans was ever-present in the Toulon engine room, and was one of the first names on the team-sheet in the side\u2019s play-off securing season. Whilst on the books with Northampton Saints from 2017 to 2023, Ribbans made his England debut in the 2022 Autumn Series against Japan, and collected a total of 11 caps for Steve Borthwick\u2019s side and a Bronze medal from the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France. <\/p>\n 2. Joe Marchant \u2013 Italy (Eligible in 2026)<\/p>\n After commanding the England midfield for 27 caps from 2019, it was a shock to see Joe Marchant pursue pastures new following the 2023 Rugby World Cup. Whilst Marchant\u2019s run with the England team only lasted a single four year cycle, the former Harlequin had a significant impact across the England centres and wide channels. Marchant\u2019s impressive versatility made him a constant name within the England squad, with Borthwick unleashing the play-maker as his first choice midfielder throughout the World Cup. <\/p>\n Marchant had been a mainstay of Twickenham since 2015, albeit aside from a season-long sabbatical in 2019 with the Blues in Super Rugby. With his New Zealand experience propelling Marchant into the Test match conversation, Marchant returned to Harlequins to win the Premiership title in the 2020\/21 season. Now a long-serving Harlequins faithful, Marchant would then pursue a new adventure in 2022, with an agreement made with Stade Francais for a move to France following the Rugby World Cup. <\/p>\n Looking at Marchant\u2019s unique mix of family ancestory, the midfielder has Italian and Trinidadian heritage on his father\u2019s side. Whilst the Caribbean island of Trinadad & Tobago are a way off qualifying for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, the former England man could well run out for Gonzalo Quesada\u2019s Azzurri for the tournament. Marchant has the versatility to slot in seemlessly to any back-line, with his international experince and on-field athleticisim offering an exciting addition to the young gun Italian outfit. <\/p>\n Marchant already has a former Harlequins teammate running out with the Italians, as Louis Lynagh has followed his Azzurri roots for his international career. Also, an honourabale mention is in store for Alex Lozowski, as the Saracens centre last played for England in 2018, and is eligible to play for Italy now should he get the call for the upcoming Autumn Nations Series. <\/p>\n CONTINUES ON PAGE TWO<\/a><\/p>\n Like this:<\/p>\n Like Loading…<\/p>\n