Rugby World Cup, England v Tonga – Why Luther Burrell is backing the Red Rose

Four years of preparation and planning at last comes to fruition as Eddie Jones’s side face Tonga in their first pool game at Sapporo.

It is not as potentially taxing as some nations’ first match – holders New Zealand start out against South Africa today – but it certainly has all the hallmarks of a physical, energy-sapping encounter.

Granted, few will expect a repeat of anything like the scoreline when the countries met in their only other World Cup encounter, England hammering Tonga 101-10 at Twickenham in 1999.

However, Huddersfield-born Burrell – who represented his country on 15 occasions between 2014 and 2016 – told The Yorkshire Post: “Naturally, Tonga will come out flying.

“Of course they will. I think England have just got to meet fire with fire. Tonga are a very passionate country. A couple of my team-mates from Northampton (including Nafi Tuitavake) are actually in that squad.

“They’ll be trying to take a few heads off I think. I’d expect it’s going to be a fiery opener.

“These group stages always are. I don’t want to say teams are finding their feet but they are just feeling each other out.

“I hope it’s a firecracker start and England get some momentum to push on.”

Yorkshireman Burrell, who played under Jones in the last of his Test outings in Australia three years ago, switched codes when leaving Northampton Saints for Warrington Wolves in June.

However, the former Leeds Carnegie centre – controversially left out of England’s 2015 World Cup squad – has still been keeping a close eye on the build-up to events in Japan as England seek to win the Webb Ellis Trophy and emulate their 2003 heroics.

“I’m hearing a lot of mixed reviews,” he said, when asked about their chances of upsetting the odds to rule the world again.

“Obviously, I’m going patriotic so I’m going to back this England team – I know a lot of the lads there, I want them to succeed and see them progress.

“The warm-up games have been a good test, they finished off Ireland really well and I think what they have got going for them is the diversity that they have within the group now.

“If their key players stand up, the way Manu (Tuilagi) has come into form at the back end of the year, that will be huge for them. Whether he’s in that starting line-up or coming off the bench and having the impact that he’s had, he’s going to be a handful and a real game-changer.

“But there’s a lot of diversity there so if we need to play a tighter game and slow the ruck speed down, we have players to do that, yet if we want to be more expansive we have the people to do that as well. It’s very exciting but I do think it will be one of the most competitive World Cups yet. When you think about it, Australia turned over New Zealand, South Africa are playing really well and turned over the All Blacks as well.

“Wales are currently number one in the world and Ireland are always going to be dangerous.

“I think it is going to be an open World Cup but I’ve got to stay patriotic; I want the lads to go over there and succeed. It’s going to be a once in a lifetime opportunity for the majority of them.”

Eddie Jones has selected his strongest available starting XV by making on ly two changes to the side that overwhelmed Ireland last month.

The midfield that engineered a record 57-15 victory at Twickenham is back with George Ford picked at fly-half and playing inside a centre duo of captain Owen Farrell and Tuilagi.

Just lock George Kruis and wing Joe Cokanasiga are missing with Courtney Lawes preferred in the second-row and Anthony Watson lining up on the right wing.

“I’ve been in and around that set-up as it’s unfolded,” recalled Burrell.

“For me, Owen is one of the best fly-halves/12s in the world; when he’s on it and you’re looking for that sort of player he is an unbelievable player.

“Wherever you play him, he is going to do an amazing job there.

“George is an exceptional talent. You saw what he did in the warm-up games as well. I’m a real big fan of his.

“I think if we go down that 10/12 ball-playing axis – especially in the opening stages – it will really set up a platform for the rest of the tournament.”