BORTH-SICK

World Cup hopes look grim

- NEIL SQUIRES

MAYBE it is all some elaborate ploy and England are hiding their Rugby World Cup cards up their sleeves.

Could their historic 30-22 home loss to Fiji on Saturday - on the face of it a total calamity - be a giant rope-a-dope trick on their opening group opponents Argentina?

Is plodding Steve Borthwick - the head coach who has presided over five defeats in his last six matches in charge - in reality the Great Mysterio, conjurer supreme? Don't hold your breath.

England depart for France on Thursday in a shocking state of disrepair and at serious risk of failing to make the knockout stage at a World Cup for only the second time. And this despite the fact they are in the weakest group.