Win or bust. Hardly music to English ears.
“We feel we let the country down… We apologise to them.”
Those words, muttered by England captain Chris Robshaw, are cold comfort for English rugby supporters after a chastening Saturday night at Twickenham.
Next Saturday, England play Uruguay at the Etihad Stadium, in Manchester, in what will be their final game at the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
As much as the nation may not care – following successive defeats to Wales and Australia – it is a game the hosts must win.
If England don’t beat the South Americans, they will need to go through the European Qualifiers to reach the next World Cup.
Only the top three teams in each pool automatically qualify for the tournament.
At present, here are the eight countries that have qualified for the 2019 World Cup:
- Australia
- France
- Japan (Hosts)
- New Zealand
- South Africa
- Scotland
- Wales
- Ireland
As you can see, Ireland’s opening two wins, secured in bonus point style, have guaranteed them a place in Japan.
While England will be expected to handily see off Uruguay, a third defeat in a row would see them go through the qualification route for the first time in their history.
