England v Fiji: Steve Borthwick's side will want to shed negativity at Twickenham

George Ford volition beryllium tasked with igniting England's onslaught from fly-half successful Owen Farrell's absence

England volition privation to chopped escaped successful their last World Cup warm-up lucifer against Fiji astatine Twickenham connected Saturday amid a backdrop of scrutiny.

Captain Owen Farrell and fig 8 Billy Vunipola are banned for precocious tackles, which volition forestall them from playing successful England's World Cup opener against Argentina connected 9 September.

Farrell volition besides miss England's 2nd excavation crippled with Japan, but Vunipola volition beryllium disposable to look the Brave Blossoms if helium completes the World Rugby coaching programme connected tackling.

• England helping Watson ruled retired of World Cup
• Lawes to skipper England connected 100th Test appearance

Both volition miss Saturday's warm-up against Fiji arsenic portion of their punishment, leaving George Ford to steer the England vessel from fly-half with Ben Earl covering fig eight.

Anthony Watson has joined Jack van Poortvliet arsenic a casualty of Borthwick's archetypal 33-man squad with a calf injury, which further hampers a backmost enactment that person not scored a effort successful their 3 summertime internationals truthful far.

Saturday's defeat by Ireland was England's 4th successful their past 5 games, but defence manager Kevin Sinfield says the squad remains agreed contempt the setbacks.

"We were a choky radical already, but however you grip those setbacks and those obstacles are truly important to however the squad moves guardant and however the squad functions," helium said.

"After each 1 of those blows - if you telephone them that - we've got backmost up and gone again. We'll proceed to bash that. These obstacles volition proceed to bring america person together.

"In different group, successful 1 that wasn't arsenic experienced oregon arsenic bare to bash well, it mightiness person been really, truly challenging for us.

"When things commencement to propulsion isolated determination are fractures - groups commencement to interruption disconnected and walk clip together, sitting unneurotic and having abstracted meetings. There is nary of that.

"They are precise overmuch together. Mealtime shows you a batch of that - wherever radical sit, the clip they walk together. And connected the field, however hard they work.

"Performances haven't been wherever they person needed to be, but we are having constructive conversations too.

"The players are moving unneurotic and cipher is blaming anybody - they are the signs that fto you cognize we person a bully group."

The crippled volition astir surely beryllium an audition for Jonny May, who is not included successful the 33-man squad but volition commencement connected the helping arsenic screen for Watson.

Borthwick, who has until Monday's deadline to sanction his last touring party, has promised "points connected the scoreboard" against Fiji and England volition privation to entertain what could beryllium a half-full Twickenham, according to the Daily Mail.

The opposition of an expected sellout for New Zealand's warm-up against satellite champions South Africa connected Friday astatine the location of English rugby could beryllium conscionable the information Borthwick's men request to kickstart their campaign.

'Our crippled has decidedly evolved'

Fiji's travel to Twickenham is besides their past crippled earlier facing Wales successful their World Cup opener connected 10 September.

The Islanders are favoured arsenic being 1 of the giant-killers successful a excavation which besides includes an under-performing Australia and European sides Georgia and Portugal.

But fastener Isoa Nasilasila says Fiji are trying to stay grounded.

"There's a batch of hype astir america but we're trying to power that individually and arsenic a team," Nasilasila said.

"We privation to enactment humble and bash our occupation connected and disconnected the field. Hopefully it volition past each travel unneurotic connected the day.

"Our crippled has decidedly evolved. We're trying to get the technicalities of rugby successful there.

"We privation to make thing alternatively than conscionable going consecutive to the backs, offload, offload. We privation to physique thing archetypal and play from there."

Line-ups

England: Steward; Malins, Lawrence, Tuilagi, May; Ford, Mitchell; Genge, Dan, Cole, Itoje, Chessum, Lawes (capt), Willis, Earl.

Replacements: Walker, Marler, Stuart, Ribbans, Ludlam, Care, Smith, Marchant.

Fiji: Droasese; Ravutaumada, Nayacalevu (capt), Radradra, Habosi; Muntz, Lomani; Mawi, Matavesi, Tagi, Nasilasila, Cirikidaveta, Tuisue, Tagitagivalu, Mata.

Replacements: Togiatama, Koroiduadua, Tawake, Mayanavanua, Miramira, Kuruvoli, Tela, Ravouvou.

Referee: Jaco Peyper (South Africa).

• 'They were regarded arsenic the elite of the transgression world': Get onboard the communicative of The Great Train Robbery, told by a writer who reported connected it successful 1963
• How overmuch h2o should you portion a day? Dr Michael Mosley looks astatine the value of hydration