England vs. Samoa: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info and Rugby Preview
Without a win in their last five Tests, England have the ideal opportunity to bounce back to winning ways in Saturday's clash against Samoa at Twickenham.
Granted, four of those losses came against New Zealand, while South Africa account for the most recent disappointment but such are the standards Stuart Lancaster's men are expected to meet.
Samoa boast a balanced record in their autumn series, having lost to Italy before triumphing 23-13 over Canada last Friday, but the underdogs tag suits them well as they head for England's capital.
Date:ย Saturday, Nov. 22
Time:ย 7ย p.m. GMT/2 p.m. ET
Live Stream:ย Sky Goย (UK, subscription required)
TV Info:ย Sky Sports 2 (UK)
Key Players to Watch
England: Chris Robshaw
If nothing else, the Samoans bring physicality in surplus to Twickenham this weekend and captain Chris Robshaw will be in the thick of it as he looks to lead England back to victory.
Although results have been upsetting, Lancaster's leader has always maintained a high standard in what he does best. With a combined 29 tackles to his name in the previous two Tests, per ESPN Scrum, Robshaw is tied with flank partner Tom Wood as the team's most prominent defender this autumn.
However, broadcaster Nick Heath questioned whether the player should even be in the line-up:
The stopping power of Samoa's outside weapons is something the likes of Owen Farrell will be expected to compete with, but Robshaw also has a duty to close those wide lines.
Despite not being a natural openside, the Harlequins stalwart has never shirked his duties in this essence, no matter how imperious the opposition coming his way.
And in that sense, Samoa are among the most frightening. He'll take his share of hits in attempting to pillage ball at the breakdown and secure turnover possession but such are the sacrifices expected to be made by one in his position.
Samoa: Kahn Fotuali'i
One of Samoa's numerous stars with a wealth of Premiership experience under his belt, scrum-half Kahn Fotuali'i comes up against some familiar faces at Twickenham on Saturday.
The Northampton Saints string-puller effectively holds the keys to Samoa's success in his hands. Although he'll rely on a strong pack performance to provide the foundation, his tempo from the base of the ruck will dictate how many chances the back line get to open their stride.
When playing at full pelt, this Samoan team can be scarily fluent in attack, possessing a combination of pace, power and other physical attributes opponents find difficult to match.
However, Fotuali'i can't expect to utilise such advantages unless England are put on the back foot, and quick ball will be needed if those gaps are to open up.
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