Comments from head coach Borthwick & captain Farrell after England team announcement

Steve Borthwick, head coach

On the approach this week and team selection:

“It’s very simple, we want to win on Friday against a very good Argentina side. This squad has built and progressed through the tournament and we want to continue that progression.

“Marcus Smith is available this week. It is our second six-day turnaround in a row, we’ve had some pretty intense games so there was a need to make some alterations to ensure we have the energy and intensity we require against a strong team.”

On the campaign as a whole:

“I will review the whole campaign post this weekend. Right now we want to make sure we get the result and performance we want on Friday night.”

On it being the end of an era:

“All the players want to produce a top-quality performance every time they go onto the pitch. A couple of players are not going to be with the England team going forward and have come out publicly and said that. This is our last game as a team for a period, and we want to make sure it is a performance that is fitting for what we have started to build and progress over these last few weeks.”

On Ben Youngs, who will retire from test rugby after the game:

“Ben has been a tremendous player for English rugby for such a long time. He is our record cap holder, a player who has seen a lot in four RWCs. He has played an important role in this squad, helping Alex Mitchell and the team progress through the tournament. He is a brilliant player and a fantastic team man.”

On Tom Curry:

“His preparation this week has been the ultimate professional, like he is every single day, every week.

“This is not a Tom Curry incident. Someone has said something that he has reported and he is getting on and preparing. This is a World Rugby and SA Rugby matter to deal with, not an England Rugby or Tom Curry matter.  We’ve said what we want to say on the matter. We’ve got a game on Friday which Tom and all the England squad are looking forward to.”

On Courtney Lawes, who has played his last test:

“This week we debriefed last week’s game and we used clips of Courtney doing things so well, the way he moves, the way he runs, the way he hunts for every loose ball, he chases down attackers, pulls them back in…it seems he has no right to do it but Courtney manages to do it somehow. That hunger and fight he has within him, the pride to help his team, I saw that a long time ago  when he first joined the England team, and right to last weekend’s game. He continues to be tremendous in the way he helps the team this week.”

On how both teams have developed throughout the tournament:

"I think you see a change in both teams, they have both developed over a number of weeks. Argentina in particular have developed a very long kicking game. They have used that to great effect, particularly in the quarter-final where they kicked the ball from one end of the field to the other to force opposition into errors. They have developed phase attack game. Both teams have played more games together so I think it is a different contest to the one that was played in game one."

On selecting Tom Curry and if it was a consideration not to because of online abuse:

"I chatted to Tom early in the week, it was around how he is physically because the way Tom plays he has more involvements than any other player on the pitch. Everyone saw when I took him off on Saturday night, he was cut, bloodied. It's another six-day turnaround. He looked straight at me and point blank said 'I am desperate to play on Friday night'. This is a guy who wants to play. There is no doubt in my mind. The way he has prepared himself has been incredible. That is Tom Curry. I couldn't be more proud of him."

On if the Curry situation has had an impact on the squad's mental preparation:

"This team has got a lot of motivation. We want to make sure we do the fans proud. The way this team has gone about high pressure moments, you have seen the team be in some tough spots. The early red card, down on the scoreboard and the team has responded in a calm, clinical manner. The way the team thinks we have seen a lot of development there."

On if they have dealt with the pain of losing the semi-final:

"As a player when you have had a defeat, especially the nature of Saturday night, if you could run out there and play again that is what I would do. It's the same as a coach. I am excited about the development of the team, how they have dealt with how with tough situations. I am proud of the growth they have made. I cannot wait for Friday. Post-Friday I will do a proper debrief of everything and make sure there is a plan for the next period."

On the exciting rugby played across RWC 2023:

"My focus is on the team but I love rugby. I think there has been some really encouraging developments, one exciting thing is the gap between tier one and tier two and how that has closed. A lot of the [exciting] games involved tier two teams. We experienced it ourselves, in particular in our games against Fiji and Samoa. Those guys have got world class players in their teams and we have had very tight, enthralling encounters. From a coaching point of view it was a bit close for comfort! I have also enjoyed a lot of the other games. The way Portugal have come and played. I think you see a tournament that has been a bit different to previous World Cups."

Owen Farrell, captain

On Tom Curry:

“Personally speaking, he has been first class like he always is. What isn’t understandable is the amount of abuse he has got, the effect that has had, not just on him. That is the bit I and we really don’t understand. It seems to be going more and more like this but it shouldn’t be.”

On the motivation for Friday’s match:

“We’ve got plenty of motivation everywhere you look. We’re looking forward to this game and it should be a good one. We want to make sure we do the England fans proud again.”

On the effect of the social media abuse on coaches and players:

“We’ve just said our bit, there’s not really too much to say. You are dealing with people, human beings. Just because you’re saying stuff on a computer screen or your phone, doesn’t make it acceptable. It seems to be going more and more that way, but I don’t think it’s acceptable.”

On the responsibility of making sure they finish on a high:

“That responsibility is always there every single time you play for England, and I think it always will be. It is another opportunity to represent England, which the boys have done brilliantly over the past however many weeks now and it is a great chance to do it again.”

On online abuse and if there are any solutions to combat it:

"I don't think that is something for us to come up with. I think there will be people who know more about it than me. Again, everyone is different."

On turning the pain of the semi-final defeat into something positive:

“First of all the programme has been managed in a way that is appropriate for this game, for players to recover and be in the best shape they can be by the weekend.

“Secondly, you are dealing with individuals and people. Now we are coming towards the end of the week, you start getting together, you are out there on the training field and in the team room, you start getting that bit of energy and looking forward to what’s coming up. I’ve certainly felt that as the week’s gone on, and hopefully that now builds into a load of excitement come Friday.”

On how Tom Curry has been:

"He is one of the most honest and hardworking blokes I have ever played with. In terms of getting support, I hope he knows everyone close to him supports him and back him all the way. I'm sure he does. I hope the people who are close to him know he is being supported really well."

On the squad's view on online abuse aimed at Curry:

"We wanted people to know our support of Tom but it is not something that we have been talking about constantly. With Tom himself he wants to get involved in this contest on Friday, it is his 50th cap. It is an unbelievably proud week for him. It's going to be the same for a couple of others as well. Ben [Youngs] last game as well. So we want to make sure this week is about doing them proud. We want to represent the shirt properly. We want to make sure we make the fans proud again."

On what the support for Curry has looked like in the squad:

"There's always a sense of normality within a rugby team. They bring you back down to earth pretty quickly. There's always that here, he is around a lot of his mates. People support in different ways."