By Jack Howes and Christian Smith
November 2 2019, 21.45
Follow @SW_Londoner
England may have left the World Cup empty handed, but the future is bright for English rugby, according to fans in Twickenham today.
As the streets filled with disappointed supporters, there was a sense that happier times were ahead at the home of English rugby.
Ryan and Gemma Randell, who had travelled from Kent to watch the game at Twickenham Stadium, were naturally disappointed by the flat performance from Eddie Jones’s team.
Mr Randall said: “Losing Kyle Sinckler so early on was a huge blow.”
Mrs Randell said she was proud of the team’s achievement in making it to the final, and Mr Randall was confident that England will improve and progress, with Eddie Jones at the helm.
Fans were excited about the team’s chances at the 2023 tournament in France.
Georgina Crensey, who had travelled from Portsmouth with her partner to watch the match, joked that she planned to rent a villa for two months to support England.
Her father, Mark Fogarty, who had come from Buckinghamshire, thought that England’s young squad would be all the stronger next time around. “We have as good a chance as anybody,” he said.
Mr and Mrs Randell commented that they can see France from their home in Kent, and so were eager to hop over the Channel in four years.
The big question is whether coach Eddie Jones will decide to stay on until the next World Cup. Jones is contracted with England Rugby until summer 2021.
Due to the success of hosting the World Cup in Japan, and the impressive improvements in the Japanese team over the past two World Cups, Mr Fogarty said he was eager to see more games against Japan and southern hemisphere teams.
Before then, England are next due to take to the field in their Six Nations opener against France in Paris on February 2.
Their next home game at Twickenham will be against quarter-finalists Ireland on February 23.
Featured image from Wikimedia.
