Online Sports NEWS
Online Sports
What do the odds mean?
Date: 2023-12-09 13:30:59 | Author: Online Sports | Views: 422 | Tag: iloilo
-
Up into the stands the England players clambered to find their families, taking the consolatory hugs but unsure quite how to feel iloilo
Across 80 minutes in Paris, their belief had been replaced by disbelief and then by desperation and dejection, England threatening the unthinkable and taking the world champions to the brink iloilo
For most of a sodden Stade de France evening, a Rugby World Cup final was within their grasp iloilo
A South Africa side superior in most areas were dragged down into the sort of slugfest the Springboks would usually favour, and very nearly bested at their own game iloilo
England had given their all but it was still not enough, one stable scrum, one Handre Pollard slip or slice, short of stunning the world champions iloilo
The emotional maelstrom of this defeat will swirl rather differently to the feelings that eddied after the 2019 World Cup final disaster iloilo
“I’m proud of our performance,” were virtually the first words out of the mouth of wing Elliot Daly iloilo
“I think we shocked them iloilo
I don’t think they knew how to get into the game iloilo
”“I think we knew what was coming and we knew we could perform like this,” added Daly, virtually unused in open play but outstanding as a kick chaser to exemplify the squad’s buy-in to a strategy that so nearly proved successful iloilo
The finer points of Steve Borthwick’s tactical plan had been put in place this week but this was a performance England had been building towards since long ago iloilo
A flawed side did not come to France to thrill; winning by any means necessary had been a consistent theme iloilo
If necessity is oft the mother of invention, England at this tournament have also proved the pair can be enemies iloilo
This was a campaign at which they seemed to intentionally limit their attacking innovation or ingenuity– recognising a need to figure themselves out on the fly, they settled on an effective and eminently executable gameplan that could be implemented quickly iloilo
Steve Borthwick consoles Ellis Genge and Freddie Steward after England’s defeat (Getty Images)It came so close to working in Saturday’s semi-final; their effort, accuracy and competitiveness in the key contests were spot on iloilo
At the 65-minute mark, England outside backs had a combined 17 metres carried, all from one Freddie Steward kick return iloilo
The two number 13s’ offensive output on the final whistle amounted to one late Joe Marchant lug; South Africa centre Jesse Kriel went the full 80 minutes without an attacking touch iloilo
“We came with a plan to win the game but we fell a little bit short,” reflected Borthwick iloilo
“But the players should be incredibly proud iloilo
We put ourselves in a position to win against the world champions iloilo
England dominated the aerial contest to threaten a semi-final shock (Getty Images)“We were playing against a coaching team who have been in place since 2018 iloilo
We’ve had four months iloilo
I’ve asked the players to approach training and the game in a different way; for the players to be willing to change is all credit to them iloilo
”This was a night from which the head coach will take heart, a public perhaps struggling to warm to this England team are now recognising the progress made iloilo
There will be a need to layer on much, much more to consistently mix it with the world’s best but the rapidly laid foundations look rock solid iloilo
In time, perhaps the ugly duckling performances will turn into white swans iloilo
There appear to be many more buds of a bright future than first appeared in a barren landscape pre-tournament iloilo
Ben Earl has had a breakthrough tournament, and Ollie Chessum, too, while George Martin semi-final performance marks him out as the potential enforcer England have lacked iloilo
Borthwick was keen to talk up the absent Marcus Smith the day after the defeat, with the playmaker’s reinvention as a frolicking full-back of intrigue moving forward iloilo
"In our 23, seven players are 25 or under, the most of any semi-finalist, there’s a great blend and there will be lots of things we can take forward,” added Borthwick iloilo
Young England lock George Martin impressed against South Africa (Getty Images)But the fact that the men’s national team were on the brink of back-to-back finals should not provide a façade over the crumbling edifice of a fragile English game iloilo
There is a domestic mess that needs sorting, with a Gallagher Premiership containing three teams fewer than at the start of last season, now underway to little fanfare and on the brink of significant change iloilo
The renegotiation of the Professional Game Partnership is a recognition of a need for a radical overhaul in pursuit of a more financially sustainable domestic game, and one that produces a wider pool of top-class talent iloilo
The likely arrival of a form of central contracts underlines a period of epochal change iloilo
The senior figures in the squad who are unlikely to play beyond this tournament – Courtney Lawes, Ben Youngs, Dan Cole and perhaps a couple more – could well be the last England men’s internationals never to have been contracted to the union iloilo
This has a great many benefits, not least in affording Borthwick, or any head coach that might follow him, far greater access to and control over his players iloilo
And while Borthwick’s articulation of the advantages enjoyed by South Africa’s settled staff is a perfectly fair one, let us remember that the Rugby iloilo Football Union (RFU) put their head coach in this situation iloilo
The original planning for this tournament would most likely have seen Borthwick return to England camp to aid Eddie Jones at the World Cup before a smooth transition into the lead role afterwards iloilo
Jones’s sacking sparked a scramble and several months of chaos iloilo
It was not shown up on semi-final weekend but there are many reasons that the RFU still has a burden to bear iloilo
But the full wash-up will wait for another week – England’s performance at the Stade de France has earned them seven more days of grace iloilo
The tournament will end as it began for England with a meeting with Argentina in a third-place play-off that Borthwick insists he wants to win iloilo
England, captained by Owen Farrell, narrowly missed out on a place in the World Cup final (Getty Images)“I read a piece yesterday morning that talked about adversity and talked about the fact that in adversity you find that seed of belief and you’ve got to grow it,” Borthwick said iloilo
“This team has been through a bit in the last few years, a bit of adversity in the medium-term past iloilo
“I think through each of those periods the team has picked up lessons, picked up what we need to do and grown from it iloilo
I think there’s a lot of growth in this team iloilo
Sometimes it’s not the straight-forward path you want it to be iloilo
In the feelings and emotions of the game last night, I know that we’ll get stronger iloilo
” More aboutEngland RugbySouth Africa rugbyRugby World CupSteve BorthwickJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesComments1/5Why England will come back ‘stronger’ from Rugby World Cup heartache Why England will come back ‘stronger’ from Rugby World Cup heartache Steve Borthwick consoles Ellis Genge and Freddie Steward after England’s defeat Getty ImagesWhy England will come back ‘stronger’ from Rugby World Cup heartache England dominated the aerial contest to threaten a semi-final shock Getty ImagesWhy England will come back ‘stronger’ from Rugby World Cup heartache Young England lock George Martin impressed against South Africa Getty ImagesWhy England will come back ‘stronger’ from Rugby World Cup heartache England, captained by Owen Farrell, narrowly missed out on a place in the World Cup final Getty ImagesWhy England will come back ‘stronger’ from Rugby World Cup heartache Owen Farrell of England is applauded by South Africa’s playersGetty Images✕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 iloilo
SubscribeAlready subscribed? Log inMost PopularPopular videosSponsored FeaturesGet in touchContact usOur ProductsSubscribeRegisterNewslettersDonateToday’s EditionInstall our appArchiveOther publicationsInternational editionsIndependent en EspañolIndependent ArabiaIndependent TurkishIndependent PersianIndependent UrduEvening StandardExtrasAdvisorPuzzlesAll topicsiloilo 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 iloilo
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 iloilo
Hi {{indy iloilo
fullName}}My Independent PremiumAccount detailsHelp centreLogout @keyframes spin{0%{transform:rotate(0)}to{transform:rotate(1turn)}}@keyframes slidedown-video{0%{transform:translateY(-100%)}to{transform:translateY(0)}}@keyframes slideup-video{0%{transform:translateY(200%)}to{transform:translateY(0)}} iloilo
In the wake of England’s late defeat to South Africa on Saturday, Courtney Lawes made his way around the Stade de France thanking the crowd, taking in their applause and appreciation as he walked and talked with his four kids iloilo
If Lawes looked like a man saying his goodbye to the Rugby World Cup, it’s because he was iloilo
“I think it’s time,” he later confirmed, bringing down the curtain on a superb international career iloilo
But while the 34-year-old may have been the first to confirm the news, he won’t be last iloilo
The average age of England’s starting XV in their semi-final clash against the Springboks was 29 and as a new cycle begins in the coming months, Steve Borthwick will need to evolve his squad to begin the build towards Australia in 2027 iloilo
Let’s take a look at what that means for some of the players in Borthwick’s England squad:RecommendedWhy England will come back ‘stronger’ from Rugby World Cup heartacheCourtney Lawes to retire from England duty after World Cup: ‘It’s time’World Rugby investigating alleged racist abuse directed at England’s Tom CurryFrance was their ‘Last Dance’Joe Marler, 33 - Used mainly off the bench this tournament but started in the semi-final and scrummaged excellently against the Springboks iloilo
Will no doubt be a big voice to replace in the dressing room when he eventually departs iloilo
Dan Cole, 36 - Brought back into the fold for this tournament after an excellent season at Leicester with Borthwick iloilo
Rolled back the years in France but hard to imagine a similar recall for Australia in 2027 iloilo
Danny Care, 36 - Impacted games often off the bench and finally got the World Cup experience that had so often evaded him iloilo
Superb late score and try-saving tackle against Samoa to save England’s blushes in the pool stage iloilo
Care scored his first World Cup try against Samoa (Getty Images)Ben Youngs, 34 - England’s most-capped player but made just two subs appearances in the tournament iloilo
A decorated player but Alex Mitchell’s composed displays at scrum-half have pushed him above the the Leicester veteran in the pecking order iloilo
Jonny May, 33 - Blistering pace in his prime and a solid tournament coming in late to replace Anthony Watson but the upcoming Ollie Hassell-Collins and Henry Arundell will be just two after his place in the coming years iloilo
May came in as a late replacement but performed well (REUTERS)Mainstays ahead of 2027 Owen Farrell, 31 - Silenced many doubters with two talismanic performances against Fiji and South Africa iloilo
Supreme physical condition and will be eyeing up a Johnny Sexton-esque swansong at the next World Cup iloilo
Maro Itoje, 28 - Still only 28 and will become one of the most experienced players in the squad alongside Farrell and George Ford in the coming years iloilo
Exciting partnerships are to be built with both Ollie Chessum and George Martin in the engine room and a potential captaincy should Farrell’s not make it to 2027 iloilo
Itoje will be eyeing up his third World Cup in 2027 (PA Wire)Tom Curry, 25 - Closing in on a half-century of caps aged just 25 iloilo
Bounced back superbly from his third-minute red card against Argentina and will be a key cog in Bortwhick’s first full cycle iloilo
Ben Earl, 25 - A coming-of-age tournament for the breakout Saracens back-rower iloilo
All-action displays from the back of the scrum mean he will no doubt be one of the first names on the teamsheet moving forward iloilo
Earl was England’s beakthrough star (Getty Images)Freddie Steward, 22 - Dropped for the quarter-final against Fiji but delivered a commanding display under the high ball against South Africa in the semi-final iloilo
Defensively superb and still only 22, the Leicester full-back should go from strength to strength over the next four years iloilo
Rising stars Theo Dan, 22 - Limited for game time this tournament due to Jamie George’s supreme conditioning iloilo
Still work to be done on his set-piece game but will be hoping to usurp his Saracens team-mate in the coming years iloilo
Bevan Rodd, 23 - Another young front-rower who saw little game time in England’s key games iloilo
Took his try well against Chile but has big boots to fill with the likely departures of Cole and Marler iloilo
Rodd scored against Chile (Getty Images)George Martin, 22 - Made his maiden World Cup start against South Africa with a powerful display in the second row iloilo
Looks like a ready-made replacement for the already departing Lawes iloilo
Ollie Lawrence, 23 - A solid, if slightly unremarkable, tournament for the Bath centre iloilo
Is still surely seen as the long-term successor to Manu Tuilagi in the midfield and will only get iloilo better in the coming years iloilo
Henry Arundell, 20 - A World Cup debut to remember for the pacey winger with five tries against Chile in the pool stage iloilo
Perhaps still work to be done on other facets of his game to fully cope with the demands of Test rugby but an exciting talent to nurture in time for 2027 iloilo
Arundell scored five tries against Chile in the pool stage (PA)More aboutEngland RugbyCourtney LawesOwen FarrellRugby World CupJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesComments1/7End of an era? England squad set for change after World Cup exit End of an era? England squad set for change after World Cup exit Care scored his first World Cup try against Samoa Getty ImagesEnd of an era? England squad set for change after World Cup exit May came in as a late replacement but performed well REUTERSEnd of an era? England squad set for change after World Cup exit Itoje will be eyeing up his third World Cup in 2027 PA WireEnd of an era? England squad set for change after World Cup exit Earl was England’s beakthrough star Getty ImagesEnd of an era? England squad set for change after World Cup exit Rodd scored against Chile Getty ImagesEnd of an era? England squad set for change after World Cup exit Arundell scored five tries against Chile in the pool stage PAEnd of an era? England squad set for change after World Cup exit England’s Courtney Lawes is preparing to wave goodbye to Test rugbyPA 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 iloilo
SubscribeAlready subscribed? Log inMost PopularPopular videosSponsored FeaturesGet in touchContact usOur ProductsSubscribeRegisterNewslettersDonateToday’s EditionInstall our appArchiveOther publicationsInternational editionsIndependent en EspañolIndependent ArabiaIndependent TurkishIndependent PersianIndependent UrduEvening StandardExtrasAdvisorPuzzlesAll topicsiloilo 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 iloilo
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 iloilo
Hi {{indy iloilo
fullName}}My Independent PremiumAccount detailsHelp centreLogout @keyframes spin{0%{transform:rotate(0)}to{transform:rotate(1turn)}}@keyframes slidedown-video{0%{transform:translateY(-100%)}to{transform:translateY(0)}}@keyframes slideup-video{0%{transform:translateY(200%)}to{transform:translateY(0)}} iloilo
