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England v Chile, Rugby World Cup 2023: when is it and how to watch on TV

England's lock Maro Itoje grabs the ball in a line out vs Japan
'You can’t take these moments for granted, you never know when the last time is that you’re going to play for England,' Maro Itoje has said - AFP/Christophe Simon

England have taken a stranglehold on Pool D after delivering comprehensive victories over Argentina and Japan but, for different reasons, neither performance set the tournament alight.

Against the Brave Blossoms in Nice last Sunday they kicked for 1,175 metres, putting boot to ball 42 times, and while they secured the bonus point in humid conditions that made handling treacherous, the kick-first approach drew boos.

For Chile this Saturday, head coach Steve Borthwick is expected to overhaul his starting XV against the weakest opposition England will face in their World Cup group campaign, taking the opportunity to give some of his stars a breather, and inject some creative spark into the back line.

What is it?

England face Chile in their third Pool D match at the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

The match will take place in Lille and will be the first of the tournament in which Owen Farrell is eligible to play, following the end of his four-game suspension for a high tackle on Wales’s Taine Basham.

England enjoyed a triumphant success over Argentina in their World Cup opener and then ‘won ugly’ against Japan. Their final match will be against Samoa, also in Lille, on October 7.

When is it?

England v Chile takes place on Saturday, September 23, with the match kicking off at 4.45pm BST (5.45pm local time).

Where is it?

Stade Pierre-Mauroy is the home of French Ligue 1 football team Lille OSC. The stadium was renamed in 2013, following the death of the former Mayor of Lille and former Prime Minister of France Pierre Mauroy. With a capacity of just over 50,000, Stade Pierre-Mauroy is the one of the largest stadiums in France. Built in 2012, the stadium features a retractable roof and has solar panels and two turbines, which provide an electricity supply.

Stade Pierre Mauroy stadium - England v Chile, Rugby World Cup 2023: when is it and how to watch on TV
Stade Pierre-Mauroy was one of the playing venues during the 2016 European Championship - Reuters/Pawel Kopczynski

What is the latest team news?

Marcus Smith is set to make his first start at full-back for England, with Farrell returning as captain at fly-half.

Borthwick made only two enforced changes in the second pool match against Japan but, with a six-day turnaround, is expected to rotate his squad against Chile.

Farrell returns having not played for England since being sent off against Wales in a World Cup warm-up match on Aug 12, while stand-in skipper Courtney Lawes is set to be rested after the opening round victories against Argentina and Japan.

Scrum coach Tom Harrison confirmed the squad has a clean bill of health after full-back Freddie Steward recovered from a dead leg against Japan.

He is due to be replaced by Smith, who has been deployed as a full back from the bench in recent weeks but has never started in the position either internationally or for club side Harlequins.

Telegraph Sport also understands that George Ford, who scored 41 points in the opening two matches, will drop to the bench, with the coaching staff hoping to reprise the Ford-Farrell 10-12 axis in the second half, possibly with a third fly-half in Smith remaining at full-back.

On Monday, attack coach Richard Wigglesworth admitted they were considering combining all three fly halves. “It’s not unthinkable but it is about what else is around them,” added Wigglesworth. “If we have absolute runners around them and that is their skill set we want to upskill as many guides as possible to see the picture early and be able to execute things.”

Who is the referee?

South African Jaco Peyper will take charge of this one. Peyper is one of only two remaining referees from the 2019 knockout stages, when he took charge of Wales’s one-point victory over France in the quarter-finals.

Referee Jaco Peyper during the Heineken Champions Cup Final match between Leinster and La Rochelle at Aviva Stadium in Dublin
Jaco Peyper is overseeing England v Chile - Getty Images/Harry Murphy

What are England saying?

For Ollie Chessum, who suffered an ankle injury in March that kept him out for actions for five months, there is an extra sense of desperation to keep his place for the game against Chile.

“You want to hold your hand up to play at every opportunity possible,” Chessum said. “I have not played a lot of rugby at all in the last six months so I want to keep playing. It is not up to me, it is up to the coaches so I will hold my hand up in training this week and it is up to them, the selection process.”

Ollie Chessum of England looks on during the Rugby World Cup France 2023
England will not 'sleepwalk' into their next game, says Ollie Chessum - Getty Images/Paul Harding

Chessum has also promised that England will not “sleepwalk” into this match after the emerging nations bloodied the noses of the big beasts at the World Cup.

Fiji, who beat England in the final warm-up game, have already claimed the scalp of Australia in the first upset of the tournament on Sunday with a 22-15 victory. They also came within just a dropped pass of also turning over Wales who were run close by Portugal while Uruguay greatly troubled hosts France in Lille last week.

England also made hard work of putting away Japan for the first hour before cutting loose in the final quarter. While bookmakers are giving Chile a 50-point headstart, Chessum says that there will no complacency within the England camp.

“Absolutely not, if you go into games, sleepwalk into games or sleepwalk into anything in this World Cup you will get caught out and exposed,” Chessum said. “You have seen from the games in the weeks there is not a big disparity between the teams, the tier two nations have taken some of the best teams right to the wire.”

How to watch on TV

ITV has exclusive broadcast rights to show the Rugby World Cup in the UK. This match will be on ITV1.

Read Telegraph Sport’s analysis of the best TV commentators and pundits.

Radio commentary will be available only on the BBC, across Radio 5 Live, 5 Sports Extra and the BBC Sounds service. The BBC says there will be a “bespoke output” in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

How do I get tickets?

To find out if tickets are still available, click through to the tournament’s official ticketing website.

What is the recent history between the teams?

England have never played Chile in a men’s full rugby international.

What are the latest odds?

  • England to win: 1/200
    Chile to win: 80/1
    Draw: 150/1

What are England’s other pool matches?

Who are in England and Chile’s squads?

England's World Cup squad
England's World Cup squad
Chile 2023 Rugby World Cup squad
Chile 2023 Rugby World Cup squad