Warburton believes there’s reason to be positive for Wales after their recent defeat to the All Blacks
Former Wales captain Sam Warburton(Image: PA Wire)
Sam Warburton has backed England to claim the Six Nations title – and says Steve Borthwick’s men will similarly be contenders for the 2027 World Cup.
England extended their hugely impressive winning streak to 11 games with their 27-23 win over Argentina at Twickenham, a run that has pushed them to third in the world rankings, behind South Africa and New Zealand.
Warburton believes the rankings will likely be reflected in the championship itself, adding that he expects Wales to finish bottom, behind Italy and Scotland.
In contrast, he believes England are currently the “envy of Europe”.
“The world rankings do not lie. Look at them now and they give you my predicted Six Nations placings,” Warburton wrote in his latest column for The Times.
“England have nailed the use of their replacements’ bench and it is obvious that Steve Borthwick has grown into his job as head coach.
“I know I have been accused of being overly positive about England, but they have so much depth and power at their disposal that they can be genuine World Cup contenders in 2027.”
On Wales, Warburton believes the defeat to the All Blacks offered some encouraging signs of progress, after what he believes was a problematic showing against Japan.
“After the victory over Japan I walked away from the stadium with massive reservations, not with the coaching staff, because I don’t think there is any more they can do, but with the quality of player available.
“No disrespect to Japan but I would not have been celebrating beating the 13th-best team in the world. Wales didn’t deserve to win. A kick in the last seconds should not have masked what happened before.
“But . . . Wales’s defeat by the All Blacks last weekend gave me some hope. Yes, New Zealand were missing several frontline players — and still ran up 52 points — but I walked away from that match thinking Wales could win a couple of games in this Six Nations.
“They should aim for fourth place, that must be the target. They have both Scotland and Italy at home, and they can beat them.”
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