England kick-off their home World Cup on Friday night under the tremendous pressure that comes with being hosts, pitted in the competition’s ‘group of death’ and facing a potentially hazardous foe in the erratic yet occasionally mesmerising Fijians.
Across the sporting spectrum it isn’t the sort of scenario you often see a home nation burdened with. For a variety of reasons it is more common to see the team throwing the party receive some welcome early gifts.
England simply do not have that luxury with Australia, two-time winners of the Webb Ellis Cup on British Soil, and bitter domestic rivals Wales making up the pool alongside poor old Uruguay.
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Excluding the South Americans, the other four are all ranked in world rugby’s top-10 and with only two progressing at least one
top-five side will face the ignominy of a painfully early exit.
Should that be the hosts then it would rank alongside the Red Rose’s greatest disappointments – even given they face perhaps the toughest opening run of fixtures any side has ever tackled at a World Cup.
Indeed, it is not only the composition of their pool; the order in which the games arrive also provides few home comforts.
After Fiji, it is Wales next and then the Australians, before finishing off against the Uruguayans in a match which could already be redundant unless points difference becomes a decisive factor.
Compare that with the Aussies, who also start against Fiji – five days after they have faced England – before taking on minnows Uruguay.
England training, hard work and commitment. It’s almost time to make it count. #carrythemhome https://t.co/b2g0UD3EA6
— England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) September 16, 2015
You’d think having those two games to start off with would give Michael Cheika’s Wallabies the chance to iron out any issues and build some momentum heading into competition-defining clashes with England and lastly Wales.
Whatever happens, the two teams to emerge from Pool A will deserve their places in the last eight, and it opens the debate as to whether a tough start in a long competition such as this can actually be beneficial.
New Zealand are the perennial favourites when it come to the RWC but have disappointed time and again in the knockout stages having earlier coasted through their pool posting record beatings on modest opposition.
The contrasting school of thought is that by overcoming stiff competition early on, a side can emerge galvanised, battle-hardened and ready to produce a level of performance to worry any teams lying in wait.
England will certainly hope they can prove that logic correct and, while luck deserted them in the draw, they do have one major ace in their pack: Twickenham.
Although he later predictably claimed his words in a scathing interview with L’Equipe about English rugby were lost in translation, former All Black prop Ali Williams this week described Twickenham as the “most hostile ground in the world”.
There’s no doubt England’s south west London home offers them a distinct advantage and they have been notoriously difficult to beat there under Stuart Lancaster.
Since the start of 2013 they have won 14 of 17 at home, only losing to New Zealand (twice) and South Africa.
Their dominance on their own turf will come under instant scrutiny, starting on Friday night, but that could just see England prosper from a siege mentality with fortress Twickenham at its very heart.
