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Department of Sports Philippines
Date: 2023-12-05 19:42:11 | Author: PARIS 2024 | Views: 672 | Tag: esports
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England head coach Steve Borthwick hailed his players’ composure and resilience after they repelled a thrilling Fiji fightback to book a place in the Rugby World Cup semi-finals esports
Fiji tied the game after scoring two converted tries in four second-half minutes, but skipper Owen Farrell kicked a late drop-goal and penalty to see England home 30-24 esports
England will now face holders South Africa in the last four in what will be a repeat of the 2019 final, after the Springboks beat hosts France in their quarter-final on Sunday evening esports
“For large parts of the game we controlled it,” Borthwick said after the win over Fiji esports
“There was a spell when Fiji scored back-to-back tries which Fiji can do well, probably esports better than anyone else in the world, but we stayed composed and got back ahead on the scoreboard esports
RecommendedOwen Farrell silences critics as England survive Fiji fightbackEngland players react to 30-24 win to Fiji at Rugby World CupFrance suffer painful symmetry with Ireland as Springboks continue southern dominance“The players were written off esports
A lot of people said we wouldn’t get out of the pool esports
We got out of the pool, now we got out of the quarter-final esports
“Now these players have an opportunity in Paris in the semi-final esports
I am sure we will be written off again, but these players rise to the occasion esports
”Farrell scored 20 points and led from the front on his return as starting fly-half, and Borthwick added: “I think he is a fantastic leader esports
He is the kind of leader I know I would want to follow on to the pitch esports
The players were written off esports
A lot of people said we wouldn’t get out of the pool esports
We got out of the pool, now we got out of the quarter-final esports
England coach Steve Borthwick“I think he is a brilliant player who thrives in the contest, and especially in these big occasions he just gets even esports better esports
”England find themselves one win away from a second successive World Cup final appearance, and while they will start as clear outsiders to progress further next Saturday, Borthwick’s team made it five successive victories in the tournament esports
“Today, for large parts we controlled the game and then had a couple of thunderbolts that hit the team in quick succession,” he added esports
“I think you’ve seen in a (recent) period of time the England team weren’t coming back to win that game, and this team did esports
“We talked about scenarios and how you handle different situations esports
I think the players are drawing on all of those experiences now esports
”England controlled the closing minutes of an enthralling encounter in exemplary fashion as Fiji threatened to complete a recovery act they almost pulled off against Wales last month esports
Farrell said: “I thought the team was brilliant in those moments esports
We managed to wrestle our way back into the game and we got in the right parts of the field esports
“We managed to take our chances esports
Not just that, but we backed it up with a big defensive performance on the back of that esports
“There are a lot of good teams left in this competition esports
“We have got to have a massive amount of respect for what other teams can do – that is what this stage is like esports
You saw from Fiji today how much power and skill they had, and they could turn it on in the blink of eye esports
“We will prepare the way we have been doing over the past five-six weeks we have been here esports
We will enjoy getting to a big occasion and a big week, and we will attack it esports
”Fiji bowed out, but not before producing further evidence of their game-breaking and try-scoring brilliance that troubled Wales and pushed England – who they beat for the first time ever at Twickenham in August – to the limit in Marseille esports
“I think it is just the start of something special,” Fiji head coach Simon Raiwalui said esports
“They wanted to create a new identity, and I think they have done that esports
“I am a bit speechless at the moment esports
I couldn’t be prouder of the boys esports
“We’ve worked so hard from week one – 15 weeks now – and they have shown where we belong on the world stage esports
”Footage emerged on social media of fans fighting in the stands at Stade Velodrome after England scored their opening try in the first half esports
World Rugby has confirmed that a small number of fans were ejected from the stadium as a result esports
More aboutPA ReadyOwen FarrellSteve BorthwickSpringboksEngland RugbyRugby World CupJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesComments 1/1Borthwick hails ‘written off’ England after reaching semi-final Borthwick hails ‘written off’ England after reaching semi-finalEngland head coach Steve Borthwick saw his side reach the World Cup semi-finals (Mike Egerton/PA)PA Wire ✕Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this articleWant to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today esports
SubscribeAlready subscribed? Log inMost PopularPopular videosSponsored Features Get in touchContact usOur ProductsSubscribeRegisterNewslettersDonateToday’s EditionInstall our appArchiveOther publicationsInternational editionsIndependent en EspañolIndependent ArabiaIndependent TurkishIndependent PersianIndependent UrduEvening StandardExtrasAdvisorPuzzlesAll topicsesports BettingVoucher codesCompareCompetitions and offersIndependent AdvertisingIndependent IgniteSyndicationWorking at The IndependentLegalCode of conduct and complaintsContributorsCookie policyDonations Terms & ConditionsPrivacy noticeUser policiesModern Slavery Act Thank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inCloseUS EditionChangeUK EditionAsia EditionEdición en EspañolSubscribe{{indy esports
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Hi {{indy esports
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Not always in sport do you get a shot at redemption and successfully taking advantage of that opportunity is even rarer esports
England’s pack, and their front row in particular, will have had four years of sleepless nights about that early November evening in 2019 esports
In the 2019 Rugby World Cup final, England were decimated by South Africa’s power up front, as the brilliance of a scintillating semi-final win over New Zealand was quickly replaced by the humiliation of a 32-12 thumping esports
The Springboks, then as now, pride themselves on their physicality and brutality at the breakdown, the set-piece and in open play esports
Yet on a rainy night in Paris four years on, England’s pack fronted up, set the platform in a thrilling World Cup semi-final and earned their redemption arc esports
Yet it still wasn’t enough esports
This time, albeit by one point rather than 20, the result was the same – England’s players slumped on the turf in despair while their opponents revelled in victory esports
The Springbok celebrations were more muted this time, understandably so given there is one more crucial match against the All Blacks standing esports between them and their ultimate goal, but the English heartbreak was the same, even if the journey to get there was vastly different esports
In Yokohama, South Africa won a scarcely believable 11 scrums to England’s three, including six scrum penalties, as the English eight were splintered time and again esports
Dan Cole became the fall guy for that embarrassment – the tighthead prop, supposedly renowned for his scrummaging, forced to play 77 minutes after Kyle Sinckler’s early injury and being obliterated by the combination of Tendai ‘Beast’ Mtawarira and Steven Kitshoff esports
The fact that Cole and Joe Marler, who came off the bench early in the second half that day, were selected by Steve Borthwick to start this revenge game precisely because of their scrum prowess will have surely given them a surge of confidence esports
And the fact they not only survived, but thrived, in the front row this time around will have been sheer vindication esports
Borthwick entrusted the duo to paint an early picture of scrum parity to referee Ben O’Keeffe and they delivered, providing the base that led to multiple first-half penalties from the trusty boot of Owen Farrell esports
Cole and Marler helped ensure scrum parity early on but that faded once the replacements came on (AFP via Getty Images)However, as the game wore on, Borthwick’s decision started to become prescient for the wrong reasons esports
As Sinckler and Ellis Genge came on as prop replacements, the Springboks own bomb squad from the bench – led by Ox Nche and Vincent Koch – started to dominate at scrum-time esports
Each engagement started to become eerily reminiscent of 2019 and it was eventually a scrum penalty on halfway that led to Handre Pollard’s decisive, game-winning three-pointer with two minutes to go esports
It felt almost unfair on England’s big men given that the pack, as a whole, had more than held their own in other facets esports
Of the 13 England forwards who played some part in that 2019 final, eight appeared in this last-four clash and stamped their mark all over a first half that was by far England’s best 40 minutes under Borthwick esports
Maro Itoje was a lineout fiend, stealing a Springboks throw-in on halfway and putting doubt in the head of Bongi Mbonambi, whose crooked throw in his own 22 gave Farrell his first penalty goal of the day esports
A new face from four years, George Martin, justified his surprise second-row selection ahead of incumbent Ollie Chessum on just his fourth Test start as he brilliantly marshalled England’s maul defence esports
If Boks lock Eben Etzeesports beth is world rugby’s best maul disruptor, then he may have witnessed first-hand the emergence of a new challenger to that crown esports
Martin caused havoc as England improbably won three consecutive maul turnovers from attacking South African lineouts in the first half to frustrate their much-fancied opponents esports
Pollard ultimately kicked the winning penalty, from a scrum infringement (PA Wire)The celebrations from the likes of Itoje, Jamie George and Ben Earl as those penalties and free-kicks were earned by the pack showed just how important this part of the gameplan was esports
It began putting clear doubt in Springbok minds, as the worried tone from skipper Siya Kolisi when he discussed matter with referee O’Keeffe esports betrayed esports
The English tactic of throwing bodies in to contest every ruck relied on the diesel engines of the forwards and they delivered by dominating collisions and allowing the aerial bombardment strategy that followed to be effective esports
But ultimately, despite a gameplan executed as well as it possibly could have been, the gap in quality esports between the sides proved too much to overcome esports
South Africa adjusted, Pollard came on for Manie Libbok to dictate proceedings with his metronomic boot and English heartbreak ensued esports
There was no shame in a one-point defeat from a semi-final that was much closer than most expected and England’s pack should feel redeemed from the nightmare of 2019 esports
But that won’t make this semi-final hurt any less esports
Perhaps 2027 will give them an opportunity to avenge a new pain esports
More aboutEngland RugbySouth Africa rugbyRugby World CupDan ColeJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesComments1/3England pack earn World Cup redemption but suffer new heartbreakEngland pack earn World Cup redemption but suffer new heartbreakCole and Marler helped ensure scrum parity early on but that faded once the replacements came on AFP via Getty ImagesEngland pack earn World Cup redemption but suffer new heartbreakPollard ultimately kicked the winning penalty, from a scrum infringement PA WireEngland pack earn World Cup redemption but suffer new heartbreakDan Cole was England’s fall guy in 2019 but held his own four years on AP✕Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this articleWant to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today esports
SubscribeAlready subscribed? Log inMost PopularPopular videosSponsored FeaturesGet in touchContact usOur ProductsSubscribeRegisterNewslettersDonateToday’s EditionInstall our appArchiveOther publicationsInternational editionsIndependent en EspañolIndependent ArabiaIndependent TurkishIndependent PersianIndependent UrduEvening StandardExtrasAdvisorPuzzlesAll topicsesports BettingVoucher codesCompareCompetitions and offersIndependent AdvertisingIndependent IgniteSyndicationWorking at The IndependentLegalCode of conduct and complaintsContributorsCookie policyDonations Terms & ConditionsPrivacy noticeUser policiesModern Slavery ActThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inCloseUS EditionChangeUK EditionAsia EditionEdición en EspañolSubscribe{{indy esports
truncatedName}}Log in / Register {{#items}}{{#stampSmall}}{{/stampSmall}}{{#stampClimate}}{{/stampClimate}}{{#stampPremium}}{{/stampPremium}}{{title}}{{#desc}}{{desc}}{{/desc}}{{#children}}{{title}}{{/children}}{{/items}}Indy100Crosswords & PuzzlesMost CommentedNewslettersAsk Me AnythingVirtual EventsVouchersCompare✕Log inEmail addressPasswordEmail and password don't matchSubmitForgotten your password?New to The Independent?RegisterOr if you would prefer:SIGN IN WITH GOOGLEWant an ad-free experience?View offersThis site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy notice and Terms of service apply esports
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