SIR CLIVE WOODWARD: Tap dancer Alex Mitchell is the key for England

SIR CLIVE WOODWARD: Tap dancer Alex Mitchell is the key and MUST call the tune for England… be bold, be brave and the scrum-half sniper can fire an unlikely bid for World Cup glory

• To have any success in France, Steve Borthwick’s side need to be brave and bold 
• Here, SIR CLIVE WOODWARD outlines exactly how they can kick off with a bang 
• Rugby World Cup 2023: Click here for Mail Sport’s latest coverage from France 

Like any good party, this World Cup needs all its attendees to contribute and that includes England. 

Steve Borthwick’s side can’t afford to stand in the corner and blend into the wallpaper. To have success in France, England need to be brave and bold. 

That starts on Saturday night against Argentina in Marseille. 

Here’s how Borthwick and his team can start their World Cup with a bang…

To have any success at the Rugby World Cup, struggling England need to be brave and bold

Mitchell the key…

Alex Mitchell wasn’t even in England’s original World Cup squad so the selection to start him against Argentina must be considered a shock. But I’m a big fan of the decision.

Mitchell must be given licence to play his natural game. 

When you watch him for Northampton, the scrum-half is a running threat who takes quick tap penalties and is constantly sniping around the ruck looking for a gap. England need him to do that in a white shirt.

He is a lovely player to watch. But there is absolutely no point in him starting if he is going to be told to slow the ball down and just kick, kick, kick. 

I want to see Mitchell bring tempo to England’s game and inject some much-needed pace. 

If he sees the opportunity to run, take it. If a quick tap is on, don’t delay! 

Speed has been missing from the England set-up for far too long. It’s time to release the handbrake.

Alex Mitchell is the key and must inject the speed the team have been lacking for far too long

Get centres on the ball

Manu Tuilagi and Joe Marchant is England’s midfield pairing. They need to get the ball!

In the warm-up games, pretty much every attacking lineout was driven by the forwards. 

Not only was it an unsuccessful tactic and easy to stop, it was also very predictable. The opposition had no problems with it. Argentina are a dangerous attacking side.

They use plenty of decoy runners behind the scrum and have lots of surprises. England need to give Michael Cheika’s side a taste of their own medicine. 

Mitchell and George Ford need to feed Tuilagi off the top of the set-piece and give him a chance to power at Argentina’s defence. 

Tuilagi can also be used as a decoy runner with Marchant in the wider channels where he can use his pace.

Manu Tuilagi will make up one half of England’s midfield pairing – he needs to get on the ball

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes

Borthwick’s gameplan so far has been very low risk. It has been based around a lot of kicking. 

It seems to me the players are, if not afraid to make mistakes, aware of the consequences of doing so.

To have success at this World Cup, England need to remove the fear factor. That’s what Gareth Southgate did and it has helped no end. Errors happen. 

No team ever plays the perfect game but England need to cast off their straitjacket and try new things. They have nothing to lose.

So far, Steve Borthwick’s gameplan has been very low risk with players afraid of making errors

If all else fails, look to Smith

MarcuS Smith is a fly-half and I’d have liked to have seen him start there against Argentina. He will be on the bench in Marseille but if England aren’t delivering, then I would love to see him come on at either 10 or 15 to spice up England’s attack.

Smith loves to try things. He is a wonderful kicker and runner. Full-back is a position he doesn’t have much experience in but when I talk about England being ready to take a risk, playing Smith in the back field where there is more space is exactly that.

Borthwick, the team and their supporters should not be fearful of that happening.

The prospect of Ford and Smith on the field at the same time would certainly give England a dual playmaker option.

Marcus Smith is a superb kicker and runner and would afford his side multiple options

My thoughts on the home nations…

IRELAND 

Andy Farrell’s Ireland are the most likely of the home nations to go deep into this tournament. They head into the World Cup as world No 1 and Six Nations Grand Slam champions. 

Farrell has done a wonderful job and his team is primed and ready. Everyone knows their roles and Johnny Sexton is back after injury and a ban which is crucial. 

Ireland start their tournament against Romania and that’s a nice way into things for them because they then have Tonga before huge clashes with South Africa and Scotland. Ireland have a poor World Cup record but they have the ability to change that and be major contenders this year.

WALES

While Steve Borthwick is at his first World Cup as a head coach, Wales boss Warren Gatland is at his fifth and you just can’t buy that sort of experience. 

It’s so important to have a man in charge who has had success and been there and done it. Gatland has taken Wales to two semi-finals and a repeat in France would be a remarkable effort given the struggles his team has had. But it is also not beyond the realms of possibility. 

Like England, Wales are in the easier half of the draw. Beat two of Australia, Fiji and Georgia and they’ll likely face England or Argentina in the last eight for a semi-final berth. 

Wales’ young players shouldn’t fear that route and they have experience around them in the likes of George North, Dan Biggar and Taulupe Faletau.

SCOTLAND 

Gregor Townsend has got Scotland playing in exactly the sort of style I’d like to see from England. I watched Scotland play France away in the warm-ups and their attacking game is excellent. 

They are a real threat with Finn Russell guiding them from No 10. It’s a huge ask for them in their first game against South Africa as I have my doubts over whether Scotland can match the giant Springbok pack. 

But I think their game with Ireland will be very close and I wouldn’t rule out an upset there. Scotland’s pool is the most competitive at this World Cup so for all their strengths, if they make the quarter-finals it would be a fine feat. 

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