# England's players underappreciated

> England's quality players overlooked despite strong performance.
- Title: England's players underappreciated · Rugby World | Shortify
- Summary: England's quality players overlooked despite strong performance. England's current rugby players are underappreciated by fans despite strong performances and…
- Keywords: england, rugby, paul williams, ollie chessum, maro itoje, ben earl, immanuel feyi-waboso, world rugby rankings, nations championship, steve borthwick, england rugby team, Rugby World
- Source: Rugby World — https://rugbyworld.com/news/englands-current-crop-of-quality-players-are-under-appreciated-by-their-fans-paul-williams-column-186574
- Published: 2026-11-11T17:54:27+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: england, rugby, paul williams, ollie chessum, maro itoje, ben earl, immanuel feyi-waboso, world rugby rankings, nations championship, steve borthwick, england rugby team, sports
## England's performance
England's tight five dominated Australia in a 45-22 Nations Championship victory.
## Underappreciated players
Ollie Chessum and Maro Itoje are highly skilled but overlooked by fans.
## Tight five strength
England's pack includes Joe Heyes, Maro Itoje, and Ollie Chessum with strong scrummage skills.
## Ben Earl's impact
Ben Earl leads with high carrying numbers and effective ball control.
## Immanuel Feyi-Waboso
Feyi-Waboso made four linebreaks in 40 minutes against Australia.
## World Rugby rankings
England ranked fifth with 86.99 points, close to third place.
## 2003 World Cup memory
Fans still hold the 2003 World Cup squad as recent despite being 23 years ago.
## Coaching concerns
Steve Borthwick's leadership has caused internal issues in England rugby.
## Staff turnover
England's backroom staff turnover is high with 11 members since 2022.
## Key takeaway

England's current rugby players are underappreciated by fans despite strong performances and rankings.