After a difficult summer, Ugo Monye believes England can improve in RWC 2023

Ugo Monye believes England “doesn’t play to their potential” but are capable of delivering at the 2023 World Cup.

On Saturday, England lost to Fiji for the third time in four games.

“I totally get the frustration, I’m frustrated,” Monye said.

“I’m seeing a team of 33 individuals, or at the weekend 22 individuals, that aren’t playing to their potential and a gameplan that I don’t think brings the best out in them.”

Having lost five of their past six matches, England have won just three of their nine matches since Steve Borthwick replaced Eddie Jones in December 2022.

England defeated Fiji 30-22 at Twickenham on Saturday, their final match before the World Cup begins on 8 September in France. They will play Argentina in their first match in Marseille on 9 September.

In Pool D, the 2003 World Cup champions will also play Japan, Chile, and Samoa.

“We can talk about stats all we like, but the most gruelling and objective stats we have is games played versus games won and lost and it would be an indication that this current gameplan they have doesn’t quite suit this current trend of how rugby is going or doesn’t suit the squad,” Monye told the Rugby Union Weekly podcast.

“I want to see these boys go and deliver what I think they are capable of delivering.

“Has my faith been waivered over the last four weeks? It’s been tested but am I less convinced England will make it out their pool based on what I saw at the weekend? No, I still think they will. And that’s the juxtaposition when you’re talking about England, they haven’t played well and lost three of four matches this summer but I still believe they will be in a World Cup quarter-final.”

As runners-up at the 2019 World Cup, England lost to South Africa in the final, and have reached the quarter-finals in eight of their nine appearances.