England rugby ban booze and stick to coke to boost hopes of World Cup trophy

England stars have banned the booze in a bid to boost their chances of winning the World Cup.

Steve Borthwick’s men answered their critics with a stunning 27-10 win over Argentina in Marseille on Saturday night - despite having Tom Curry sent off.

George Ford was the hero after kicking all 27 points to ease the pressure on Borthwick and make it the perfect start in Pool D. But there will be no celebrating – after Ellis Genge revealed the squad had agreed to remain tee-total throughout the tournament.

And Genge reckons England can upset the odds and go on to be crowned world champions for a second time.

Holding up a bottle of coke and indicating no beers would be allowed, Genge said: "We’re not relieved. We want to win the World Cup and we’re doing the same thing every week.

"It’s about consistency. This is what we’re aiming for. We said we were building, but nobody believed it. But I believe we can win this World Cup. Of course I do. I wouldn’t be here otherwise."

Borthwick now faces an anxious wait to discover if a disciplinary hearing decides to hand Curry a ban ahead of England’s next game against Japan on Sunday.

Meanwhile, World Rugby and France 2023 organisers have promised an investigation into the chaotic scenes outside Stade Velodrome, which saw thousands of England fans involved in a crush while struggling to get through security checks ahead of kick off.

A joint statement said: “We are aware of delays experienced by fans.

“While fans were able to take their seats, fan experience is paramount - and we are working with all stakeholders to establish the facts and implement measures to prevent such delays for the remaining Rugby World Cup matches at the venue.”