England’s closing Pool D recreation was imagined to be a gown rehearsal for the quarter-final in opposition to Fiji. Steve Borthwick would have wished his workforce — and the midfield mixture of George Ford and Owen Farrell — to gel.

However for me, the alternative occurred. England had been lucky to win and it has left them with extra questions than solutions.

I’m certain many followers will probably be pondering England’s method wants to vary fully. However I don’t suppose that may occur. I’d convey Danny Care in to start out in opposition to Fiji however I believe England will proceed with Ford and Farrell.

The second-half yellow card for Tumua Manu killed Samoa. It allowed England to get out of jail via Care’s late strive. It’s not signal for England they struggled in opposition to Samoa. That’s as a result of Fiji play the same method to their fellow Pacific Islanders.

However they’re a much better aspect than Samoa with extra attacking threats — as was proven by their win at Twickenham within the August warm-up matches. They may even be extra scientific than Samoa if England give them the identical alternatives.

England’s closing Pool D recreation was imagined to be a gown rehearsal for the quarter-final in opposition to Fiji however it turned out to go away Steve Borthwick with extra questions

The second-half yellow card for Tumua Manu killed Samoa because it allowed England to get out of jail via Care’s late strive

The actual fact Borthwick changed Ford with Marcus Smith within the 51st minute confirmed me he didn’t suppose his partnership with Farrell was working

The actual fact Borthwick changed Ford with Marcus Smith within the 51st minute confirmed me he didn’t suppose his partnership with Farrell was working. 

When Ford went off, Farrell went to 10, Smith got here on at full-back and Freddie Steward moved to the wing with Joe Marchant coming inside to centre. So far as back-line reshuffles go, it was fairly drastic and I’m undecided it made a major distinction!

Ford and Farrell began off OK really. They used Manu Tuilagi as a decoy runner with Farrell popping out the again. 

I assumed Farrell was a bit rusty and that was no shock actually given he’d solely performed as soon as in opposition to Chile since his ban. It wasn’t simply Farrell although, I assumed a lot of the workforce seemed a bit flat — particularly within the first half — off the again of their down week.

I assumed Farrell and England’s show was summed up by his penalty being dominated out as a result of he’d run out of time on the shot clock. That’s unforgivable.

It was clear Farrell had no thought the clock was ticking down and it was partly right down to the very fact he spent so lengthy giving the referee some chat. It was the proper resolution for Borthwick to make adjustments when he changed Ford.

The actual fact England got here away with a win is to Borthwick’s credit score as he had the braveness to make a giant name.

However the huge query is what he does in opposition to Fiji. Maintain Ford and Farrell collectively? Or transfer Farrell to 10? And even begin Smith as playmaker and preserve Farrell at 12?

Though I didn’t suppose the Ford-Farrell axis had the chance to work in opposition to Samoa, my hunch is Borthwick will persevere with them at 10 and 12.