Joe Root at hooker? England cricket team give Steve Borthwick food for thought naming an alternative cricket XV ahead of Sunday’s Rugby World Cup clash against Japan
The England cricket team have given Steve Borthwick some food for thought ahead of his side’s upcoming Rugby World Cup match against Japan.
The cricketers, who defeated New Zealand by 181 runs at the Oval on Wednesday, gave the Rugby coach an alternative from 15 for Sunday’s crunch match, with Joe Root named at hooker while Ben Stokes came in as blindside flanker.
It comes after the Borthwick side got their Rugby World Cup campaign off to a winning start against Argentina on Saturday, with George Ford brilliantly putting England into second place in Pool D, a point behind Sunday’s opponents Japan.
Jos Buttler’s side also won this weekend, claiming a 79-run win over New Zealand in the second of their four-match ODI series and backed that up with a second win today to level the series at 2-1.
Stokes was once again the star of the show, hitting a record 182 runs off 124 balls to help his side achieve the impressive victory. but fans watching Sky Sport’s coverage of the match noticed something interesting in the England dressing room.
The England cricket team have named their alternate starting number XV for England’s Rugby World Cup match against Japan on Sunday
Steve Borthwick (pictured) was given some food for thought from the cricketers, with the England head coach set to announce his starting 15 for their second World Cup group match on Friday
The team was unveiled on Wednesday evening when Ben Stokes (pictured) hit a record 182 to help England beat New Zealand to go 2-1 in their four-match ODI series.
With Borthwick about to name his team to take on Japan next Friday, the cameras focused on a whiteboard peering through the windows of the pavilion at the Oval, showing the alternate starting XV to take on the Brave Blossoms to play.
In the front row, Joe Root is sandwiched between coach Wayne Bentley and team physio Craig de Weymarn.
Buttler’s side have opted to select Reece Topley, who stands at over six feet tall, and Andrew Flintoff as their second-row partners, with the former England all-rounder joining the teams’ coaching set-up earlier this week.
Stokes, whose father Ged paid for and coached rugby league professionally, comes in as the blind flanker alongside fast bowler Gus Atkinson as open side flanker and strength and conditioning coach Andy Mitchell at number 8.
Their compatriots in France have also enjoyed some success this week, beating Argentina to get their World Cup campaign off to a winning start
Jos Buttler’s (left) side prepare to head to India for the 2023 Cricket World Cup, where they will open their campaign against New Zealand on October 5.
Sam Curran comes in at scrum half and is supported at fly-half by wicketkeeper-batsman Jonny Bairstow, who according to the Subwayplayed half in his youth and once considered leaving cricket to play rugby.
In midfield, Bairstow is flanked by a center duo of David Willey and Brydon Carse, while Chris Woakes and Jason Roy occupy the flanks.
At full-back, captain Jos Buttler sits back and surveys the pitch, with Harry Brook, Jofra Archer, Dawid Malan and coach Marcus Trescothick all named on the bench.