Will Greenwood says the kindness of Rugby World Cup draw means England can cope without banned Owen Farrell and Billy Vunipola for start of tournament: "They could easily lose to Argentina and still find themselves in a quarter-final because they would have to beat Chile, Japan and Samoa"
Thursday 24 August 2023 14:37, UK
Will Greenwood insists England's Rugby World Cup campaign will not be derailed by the early absences of the banned Owen Farrell and Billy Vunipola, saying the kindness of the draw means Steve Borthwick's men are semi-final contenders at least.
Captain and fly-half Farrell will sit out his side's first two matches, against Argentina on September 9 and Japan eight days later, due to his red card for a high tackle against Wales earlier this month being reinstated following a successful appeal by World Rugby.
Vunipola - the only established No 8 in England's 33-player squad - will miss the Argentina game after he was sanctioned for a high tackle in last weekend's defeat to Ireland.
England's other Pool D matches in France are against Chile and Samoa, before a potential quarter-final against Wales, Australia or Fiji.
Greenwood told Sky Sports News: "It is always a blow when you lose your captain and a guaranteed starter. It is frustrating but England will cope with it.
"It is a bump but not a mountain the way the pools have been done. They could easily lose to Argentina and still find themselves in a quarter-final because they would have to beat Chile, Japan and Samoa.
"Many England fans are counting the blessings of the rather disastrous system World Rugby put in place to pick the pools so far out from the World Cup. You are certainly not complaining if you are English.
"Jack Willis could defend at No 8 while Ben Earl is at No 7. Then in attack, switch it around. Earl explode off the base and Willis the first to clean the ruck out.
"The interchangeability England have - Eddie Jones flirted with making Tom Curry his out and out No 8. I think [Vunipola's absence] is less of an issue than people are potentially making out.
"The most frustrating thing is when you are trying to build a side low on confidence you want your starting XV together as often as possible.
"The players themselves are fully aware the performances are not the standard they would like with or without the ball.
"They are doing their best but whether it will be enough soon enough to find ourselves in a World Cup final, only at this stage the most optimistic England fan with one eye politely put away in the sock draw would suggest that.
"But the quarter-final could be against either Wales, Australia or Fiji, all below us in the world rankings, so they are in with a chance."
On Farrell, Greenwood added: "I have sympathy for Owen.
"If you are brought up in such a way and a tackle that you have always done that was legal when you started… it is very difficult in the white-hot atmosphere of Test match rugby not to go back to something you have always done.
"[But] I am no one's apologist - it was a high tackle, a red card - and in the correct desire to make rugby a healthier and safer game for all, these laws have to be applied."
