England stars taken off pitch due to LIGHTNING strikes as match delayed by an hour

Daily Mirror

5 days ago

England completed their tour of the Americas by beating the USA 40-5 in Washington DC, but Steve Borthwick's players had to contend with a 40-minute delay during the first half
England's rugby union stars were forced off the pitch during their clash with the USA because of lightning strikes. Steve Borthwick's side, missing key players amid the ongoing British & Irish Lions series, were continuing their tour of the Americas after two impressive wins over Argentina.
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Saturday marked England's first match in the USA since 2001. The fixture took place at Audi Field in Washington DC and kick-off had already been pushed back due to adverse weather conditions.
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Then in the first half, with England 14-0 up, lightning caused another delay lasting 40 minutes. England Rugby posted on social media: "Due to lightning strikes in the vicinity of Audi Field in Washington DC, players have been removed from the field of play."
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Lengthy delays were recently seen at football's Club World Cup in the USA. Chelsea and Benfica were forced to wait inside the changing rooms for nearly two hours during their match which was the sixth to be delayed due to weather conditions at the tournament.
England eventually cruised to a 40-5 win, with captain George Ford making four conversions. Ford, 32, admitted that the conditions were challenging but was proud of his team-mates' efforts.
"The conditions were difficult but it was a good group effort and a huge experience for the new players," the England skipper commented.
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Boss Borthwick handed debuts to Gabriel Oghre, Max Ojomoh, Joe Carpenter, Arthur Clark, Charlie Atkinson and Oscar Beard. The 45-year-old was full of praise for the youngsters in the circumstances.
"They were challenging conditions, and with the weather break the game has lasted a long time," Borthwick said. "It's a scenario none of us have faced before - to deal with those conditions, with six new caps in the team today, was magnificent.
"There are things you want to do better, yes, but I thought they were brilliant. I'm pleased with the way the players have approached all the games - all three were very different, and it's been a great experience in so many ways.
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"We've had 10 new caps over three Tests and got depth developing - we can all see the physical nature of the team, which is athletic, quick, fit and the way the England team's moving."
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The ex-second row played last time England faced the USA across the pond. Sir Clive Woodward's team beat the hosts 48-19 in San Francisco - but Saturday was a very difference experience.
"My memories were we were getting changed in the swimming pool changing room, so a leisure complex!" Borthwick laughed. "Playing here in such a unique, brilliant stadium. It's very different, which is terrific to see."
England are on a run of seven successive victories, their longest winning streak since 2020 and a sign that confidence is growing after a difficult period last year. They'll take on Australia, Fiji, New Zealand and Argentina at Twickenham when the autumn internationals come around.