Rugby World Cup 2023 - England Starting XV Predictions

[TiltonTiger]

Hello all,

I scanned an article from the Sunday Times that was published a week after the last RWC final, which predicted that the England XV for 2023 would comprise the following:

1. Kai Owen (Was Worcester, now Doncaster)
2. Jack Singleton (Was Saracens, now Gloucester)
3. Kyle Sinckler (Was Harlequins, now Bristol)
4. Maro Itoje (Saracens)
5. Joel Kpoku (Was Saracens, now Lyon)
6. Sam Underhill (Bath)
7. Tom Curry (Sale)
8. Billy Vunipola (Saracens)
9. Ben Spencer (Saracens)
10. Max Malins (Saracens)
11. Jack Nowell (Was Exeter, now La Rochelle)
12. Ollie Lawrence (Was Worcester, now Bath)
13. Henry Slade (Exeter)
14. Joe Cokanasiga (Was Bath, now Bath again)
15. Anthony Watson (Was Bath, now Leicester (?))

Seven of them are in the squad this year, five of whom might expect to start against Argentina, but I wonder which of the other eight are the biggest lost opportunity for England? I'm not familiar with Owen or Kpoku, but to my mind Sam Underhill promised so much, but injuries have 'stolen' his potential.

And no Tigers listed, but I guess we were on the way to our nadir by late 2019. To be fair though, would anybody have predicted Dan, Ben, George, Ollie, (JVP) and Freddie in their 2023 squad back in 2019?

[Hot_Charlie]

Kpoku was the next big thing coming through at Sarries and had already made his Premiership debut as a 19 year old and had several matches under his belt by the time the RWC came around. He'd even trained with the full England squad by that point (as a young Smith and Olowofela did - having just looked, he was called up alongside Olowofela in the same squad in Auguest 2018).

Then along came the salary cap scandal and the fall out of the Covid drinking scandal. Off he went to France after falling down the order at Sarries.

[tigerburnie]

Hello all,

I scanned an article from the Sunday Times that was published a week after the last RWC final, which predicted that the England XV for 2023 would comprise the following:

1. Kai Owen (Was Worcester, now Doncaster)
2. Jack Singleton (Was Saracens, now Gloucester)
3. Kyle Sinckler (Was Harlequins, now Bristol)
4. Maro Itoje (Saracens)
5. Joel Kpoku (Was Saracens, now Lyon)
6. Sam Underhill (Bath)
7. Tom Curry (Sale)
8. Billy Vunipola (Saracens)
9. Ben Spencer (Saracens)
10. Max Malins (Saracens)
11. Jack Nowell (Was Exeter, now La Rochelle)
12. Ollie Lawrence (Was Worcester, now Bath)
13. Henry Slade (Exeter)
14. Joe Cokanasiga (Was Bath, now Bath again)
15. Anthony Watson (Was Bath, now Leicester (?))

Seven of them are in the squad this year, five of whom might expect to start against Argentina, but I wonder which of the other eight are the biggest lost opportunity for England? I'm not familiar with Owen or Kpoku, but to my mind Sam Underhill promised so much, but injuries have 'stolen' his potential.

And no Tigers listed, but I guess we were on the way to our nadir by late 2019. To be fair though, would anybody have predicted Dan, Ben, George, Ollie, (JVP) and Freddie in their 2023 squad back in 2019?

Pretty sure George Martin and JvP were just out of the academy playing in Nat2 South with Leicester Lions along with James Whitcombe, all of whom I expect to be in or around the England set up in four years time.

[Hot_Charlie]

Hello all,

I scanned an article from the Sunday Times that was published a week after the last RWC final, which predicted that the England XV for 2023 would comprise the following:

1. Kai Owen (Was Worcester, now Doncaster)
2. Jack Singleton (Was Saracens, now Gloucester)
3. Kyle Sinckler (Was Harlequins, now Bristol)
4. Maro Itoje (Saracens)
5. Joel Kpoku (Was Saracens, now Lyon)
6. Sam Underhill (Bath)
7. Tom Curry (Sale)
8. Billy Vunipola (Saracens)
9. Ben Spencer (Saracens)
10. Max Malins (Saracens)
11. Jack Nowell (Was Exeter, now La Rochelle)
12. Ollie Lawrence (Was Worcester, now Bath)
13. Henry Slade (Exeter)
14. Joe Cokanasiga (Was Bath, now Bath again)
15. Anthony Watson (Was Bath, now Leicester (?))

Seven of them are in the squad this year, five of whom might expect to start against Argentina, but I wonder which of the other eight are the biggest lost opportunity for England? I'm not familiar with Owen or Kpoku, but to my mind Sam Underhill promised so much, but injuries have 'stolen' his potential.

And no Tigers listed, but I guess we were on the way to our nadir by late 2019. To be fair though, would anybody have predicted Dan, Ben, George, Ollie, (JVP) and Freddie in their 2023 squad back in 2019?

Pretty sure George Martin and JvP were just out of the academy playing in Nat2 South with Leicester Lions along with James Whitcombe, all of whom I expect to be in or around the England set up in four years time.

Yep, these are all a couple of years older than them.

[westwinds31]

Owen is at Notts I think ?

[Scott1]

Speaking of predictions where do we think the upsets will occur? (If any) Scotland beating SA or Ireland? England losing to one of Samoa or Japan? (Losing to Argentina isn't an upset at present,they are favourites for me). Oz or Wales losing to Fiji? Tonga taking a big scalp? A N Other? What's everybody's bets?

[TigerFeetSteve]

Speaking of predictions where do we think the upsets will occur? (If any) Scotland beating SA or Ireland? England losing to one of Samoa or Japan? (Losing to Argentina isn't an upset at present,they are favourites for me). Oz or Wales losing to Fiji? Tonga taking a big scalp? A N Other? What's everybody's bets?

I think Fiji may sneak into the semifinal or quarters at least.

Both Wales and Australia are vulnerable and I think they'll get at least one win vs them, depending how results go they could then face a World Cup ¼ against Samoa or Japan (especially if our group is decided on bonus points) where they're favourites or a ¼ vs England or Argentina where they are underdogs but not huge ones and momentum is fickle.