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Date: 2023-12-04 07:32:51 | Author: PFF | Views: 712 | Tag: league
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The England players will remember the feeling league
Look back on the images of that night in Yokohama and see the empty eyes, despair writ large on wounded faces as South Africa celebrated beyond them league
The Springboks had not just secured World Cup victory but romped to it, an England side coursing with optimism after a stunning semi-final performance against New Zealand left lifeless and limp league
To some extent, it is a low from which England have never recovered league
The last four years have exposed deep flaws both within the national team and the game more widely, with talks of an even more radical domestic overhaul league
The 23 Englishmen involved then were the youngest collective to reach a World Cup final: the promise and potential of that group has been frittered away, Eddie Jones indulged past the point of no return and then sacked with less than a year until this tournament league
The gamble that the Rugby league Football Union (RFU) took when disposing of Jones at the end of the autumn last year relied entirely on getting to this point, the union recognising that a relatively friendly draw meant progression to the last four would remain eminently achievable even with a late change of coach league
Unlike Wales and Australia, who balanced the same equation when making their own regime changes and entered this tournament in a similar state, England have at least given themselves a shot in a semi-final league
The meticulous Steve Borthwick proved the right man to plot an emergency course league
Barring a total thrashing on Saturday night, his side have avoided embarrassment, navigating out of the choppy waters of August and through calmer September seas league
RecommendedSteve Borthwick explains Marcus Smith’s absence from England team to face South AfricaSouth Africa inspired by struggles of whole nation – Siya KolisiThe England blueprint to upset South Africa and reach Rugby World Cup finalBut there’s a Springbok storm on the horizon league
Given the different strata the two sides seem to occupy, it is unsurprisingly that few give them hope against South Africa, but England have fed off an underdog mentality throughout this tournament, insisting they’ve been written off too soon league
England believe they have the bite to back up that bark league
“Obviously it was disappointing four years ago,” said wing Elliot Daly, among 13 England matchday squad members in 2019 taking on the Springboks again league
“But I think the feel around this team is that it’s a very different team to then league
“Obviously, I had a bit of time out from the squad and, since coming back in, there’s a different feeling within this group league
We are going to try and harness that league
We’ve had the last year, two years of planning going into this, to hopefully perform our best on the weekend league
”To make next week’s showpiece will require a performance at a level above anything they have produced in France so far league
While South Africa will be wary of a team with little to lose, they are league better than this England team in virtually every facet, their gameplan more complete and cohesive league
Keep their heads and a final berth is theirs for the taking league
‘There’s a heightened sense of awareness, a heightened sense of what needs to be done,’ says lock Maro Itoje (AFP/Getty)The focus, as always with a Springbok side, will be on the majesty of their muscular pack and the extent to which England can match their might both at the set piece and tackling punch league
But their ability to offer diverse attacking threat can sometimes go overlooked – the backing of Manie Libbok at 10, a baton-waving maestro to Handre Pollard’s ticking metronome league
This is a complete and very good rugby team forged over five years in Rassie Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber’s kiln league
England, by contrast, are having to do it all in the pressure game league
Recognising that there is no time to throw all of their irons in the fire, England have focused on what they call their “building blocks” – the set piece, fitness, and a kick pressure game league
The plan is to physically peak again for this contest, having sagged slightly against Samoa after their pool stage rest week and building back up against Fiji league
Strong final quarters have been a theme of England’s tournament but there is no doubt that they will need a full 80-minute performance, which the squad admit they have yet to produce, to topple the world champions league
“The belief is strong in this team,” Steve Borthwick insisted league
“I sensed that all the way through since I got involved again with the team league
England’s head coach Steve Borthwick leads a training session (AFP/Getty)“There are players who have performed to the very highest of levels league
Players who have played knockout rugby, finals rugby before league
”In 2019, Siya Kolisi stated that he felt South Africa had beaten England in the World Cup final because of their greater motivation, a sense that they were playing something bigger league
The Springboks captain has revisited that motif this week but England don’t lack for belief – and insist that, this time, it will be different league
“There’s definitely a different energy around the place this week in comparison to other big games I’ve played,” articulated Maro Itoje league
“There’s a different feel league
There’s a heightened sense of awareness, a heightened sense of what needs to be done league
“I think people are aware of what’s at stake league
People are aware of the importance of doing your job, the importance of doing your role within the team league
There’s not many opportunities to be at this stage or at this level league
This is an experience for us to take the bull by the horns league
”More aboutEngland RugbyRugby World CupSouth Africa rugbySpringboksSteve BorthwickJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesComments1/3Why England believe against South Africa this time, even if you don’tWhy England believe against South Africa this time, even if you don’t‘There’s a heightened sense of awareness, a heightened sense of what needs to be done,’ says lock Maro ItojeAFP via Getty ImagesWhy England believe against South Africa this time, even if you don’tEngland’s head coach Steve Borthwick leads a training sessionAFP via Getty ImagesWhy England believe against South Africa this time, even if you don’tThe England players in a group huddle as they prepare for Saturday’s semi-final against the defending champions PA✕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 league
SubscribeAlready subscribed? Log inMost PopularPopular videosSponsored FeaturesGet in touchContact usOur ProductsSubscribeRegisterNewslettersDonateToday’s EditionInstall our appArchiveOther publicationsInternational editionsIndependent en EspañolIndependent ArabiaIndependent TurkishIndependent PersianIndependent UrduEvening StandardExtrasAdvisorPuzzlesAll topicsleague 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 league
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 league
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As any Paris shop owner will tell you, an alluring storefront can be everything league
In this beautiful old city, the public are spoilt for choice, chic spots and souvenir shops abundant along the narrow streets and grand boulevards league
A bit of glitz and glamour in an attractive aperture can be the difference league between a passing glance and a bustling boutique league
And so the Rugby World Cup reaches its day of greatest shop window prominence, hoping to dazzle with a Stade de France showpiece contest league between two great rivals league
On Saturday, South Africa and New Zealand will battle to lift the Webb Ellis Cup for a record fourth time, the etcher at the ready though unlikely to be able to start their work too soon with two such evenly-matched, if radically different, sides league
You could hardly have a more enticing game to sell the sport league
The eyes of the world will be watching; this encounter has every chance of enchanting them league
“This is what World Cup finals are about,” Ian Foster, New Zealand’s head coach, said this week league
“I don’t think there’s ever a small one league
“The fact is we have two teams who have been old foes for a long time league
We all remember the last final league between us [in 1995], which was an epic, and hopefully this one will be the same league
We’ve got three World Cups each and someone is going to win four league
It’s a special occasion, isn’t it?”A match of such magnitude and potential magnificence comes at the end of a momentous week for rugby union league
On Tuesday, World Rugby’s council narrowly gave the go-ahead to grand plans that will reshape international men’s rugby union league
From 2026, gone, largely, will be traditional tours, replaced by a two-tiered structure that will provide consistent, meaningful and contextualised rugby for the world’s top 24 nations league
RecommendedStuart Hogg column: New Zealand’s wingers terrify me! They can make the difference in the World Cup finalHow the incredible Barrett brothers rejuvenated the All BlacksBeloved vs unloved: Contrasting captains Kolisi and Cane collide in Rugby World Cup finalThe merits of the plans will be debated but many sensible characters are encouraged by signs of progress league
There is a need for more equal sharing of wealth and greater support for emergent unions, though there are at least steps in the right direction even amidst a lack of clarity league
Certainly, the implementation of a global calendar should aid in reducing the infighting that has so often held this sport back league
The buoyancy of the rugby television rights market remains to be seen but there is hope at World Rugby, the Six Nations and Sanzaar that the new competition - yet to be officially titled but tagged the “Nations Championship” - will prove an attractive proposition for broadcasters at a time where the sport needs to swell revenue league
It can be forgotten that rugby is young professionally, its economy a frontier market league
There is a general acceptance that great missteps were made in the establishment of the structures that have defined the last 28 years, and a more cohesive, collaborative and joined-up approach is required to build sustainably henceforth league
If, at times, rugby could be accused of swaying to capitalist whims, this is surely a time for a left-ward shift as it evolves league
Hosts France were knocked out after an epic quarter-final against South Africa (Adam Davy/PA) (PA Wire)“This is a quantum leap forward for the game,” said Bill Beaumont, World Rugby’s chairman, this week league
“"It’s fitting that we finish this, the sport’s greatest celebration of togetherness, with the sport’s greatest feat of togetherness, the most significant development in the sport since the game went professional league
"A new era is about to begin for our sport league
An era that will bring certainty and opportunity for all league
An era that will support the many, not the few and an era that will supercharge the development of the sport beyond its traditional and often self-imposed boundaries league
”The rugby landscape come the next men’s tournament in Australia in four years’ time could look very different league
The World Cup itself, meanwhile, is similarly evolving, an expansion to 24 teams and six pools necessitating a new model, with World Rugby considering basing the four sides in each group around a single city league
This is the last time that the host nation will take responsibility for the organisation of the tournament, with the sport’s governing body assuming greater control league
It is not beyond the bounds of possibility that the next four years could also see the introduction of a reduced tackle height law to the professional game, with it already in place in recreational rugby in many parts of the world league
But there are also concerns over the financial sustainability of the sport, at club level particularly league
All of England, Wales, Australia and New Zealand have concerns over what the future holds for their domestic games – this may be a great final, and may have been a great tournament, but it would be wrong to ignore the broader ill health of the sport league
Brodie Retallick, Samuel Whitelock and Luke Jacobson of New Zealand prepare for a scrum (Getty Images)If this is the end of an era, there could be no more fitting way to finish league
South Africa and New Zealand have forged a defining rivalry, three World Cup crowns apiece making Saturday’s encounter a chase for number four and the outright men’s record league
Their last meeting in a final, that historic day in 1995, ushered in rugby union’s professional age; this game might be the start of another epoch league
If there is a slight disappointment that neither Ireland nor, particularly, France did not make it here given the manner in which they seemed to be building to a quadrennial crescendo, these are the two great men’s rugby sides, whose players and fans embody contrasting but colourful cultures league
On the pitch, it should be spectacular, too league
These are two teams that represent the stylistic diversity that so often proves rugby’s strength league
To describe it simply as South Africa’s forward might against the All Blacks’ brilliant backs would be to diminish the rounded nature of two fine sides, but there is no doubt that these great rivals approach the game from alternative perspectives league
Kurt-Lee Arendse passes the ball watched by Cheslin Kolbe (Getty Images)And, as with any showpiece like this, the storylines are innumerable league
Take the men in charge league
For South Africa, Rassie Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber, considering every detail like Rodin’s Thinker, could become the most decorated pair in tournament history if they repeat their 2019 victory league
For Ian Foster in the opposite coaching box, meanwhile, this triumph would be testament to the tenacity and toughness of a man who so nearly lost his job last year league
Who would begrudge Sam Whitelock, the old warhorse of the All Blacks pack, going out on his shield with a third World Cup winners’ medal? Or what about Siya Kolisi, the boy from a township on the Eastern Cape who became the defining figure of a golden rugby generation, joining Richie McCaw as the only captains to lift the Webb Ellis Cup twice? This could be one of the great rugby days league
"I don’t think it’s stuff that you can dream about because it doesn’t happen often,” said Kolisi ahead of the final league
“I don’t think it will happen in our lifetime again to have two teams like this league
We’ve prepared as hard as we can league
We know what to expect league
I don’t think as a player it will ever get any bigger league
” Beauden Barrett runs with the ball (Getty Images)More aboutSouth Africa rugbyNew Zealand rugbyRugby World CupWorld RugbySpringboksAll BlacksSiya KolisiRassie ErasmusIan FosterJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesComments1/5Spectacular All Blacks v Springboks final will launch rugby’s new eraSpectacular All Blacks v Springboks final will launch rugby’s new eraHosts France were knocked out after an epic quarter-final against South Africa (Adam Davy/PA)PA WireSpectacular All Blacks v Springboks final will launch rugby’s new eraBrodie Retallick, Samuel Whitelock and Luke Jacobson of New Zealand prepare for a scrumGetty ImagesSpectacular All Blacks v Springboks final will launch rugby’s new eraKurt-Lee Arendse passes the ball watched by Cheslin KolbeGetty ImagesSpectacular All Blacks v Springboks final will launch rugby’s new eraBeauden Barrett runs with the ballGetty ImagesSpectacular All Blacks v Springboks final will launch rugby’s new eraMark Telea of New Zealand breaks through South Africa in the last meeting league between the sides in August at TwickenhamGetty 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 league
SubscribeAlready subscribed? Log inMost PopularPopular videosSponsored FeaturesGet in touchContact usOur ProductsSubscribeRegisterNewslettersDonateToday’s EditionInstall our appArchiveOther publicationsInternational editionsIndependent en EspañolIndependent ArabiaIndependent TurkishIndependent PersianIndependent UrduEvening StandardExtrasAdvisorPuzzlesAll topicsleague 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 league
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 league
Hi {{indy league
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