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Date: 2023-11-30 09:20:42 | Author: Online Gaming | Views: 244 | Tag: football
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In the minutes after a thrilling, thumping quarter-final in Marseille, the Stade Velodrome DJ reached into his record collection and plucked out some early Eighties Elton John football
It felt like an appropriate soundtrack football
On a weekend where Wales, Ireland and France faded away, England – somehow, some way – are still standing football
Talk of a hemispheric shift proved premature, with a southern sweep elsewhere leaving Steve Borthwick’s side the only unbeaten outfit left in this odd World Cup football
A team that once never could have hoped to win now find themselves in the final four; the Six Nations’ hopes at this tournament rest, almost unfathomably, with England football
Not that one would expect too many Welsh, Irish or French supporters to seek comfort in an embrace of white cotton football
For France and Ireland, particularly, it will rankle to have used the last four years so brilliantly to build a contender and find that it is England’s rushed construction that has endured football
There is still every chance that Borthwick’s new-build comes crashing down once subjected to a Springboks storm, but so far England have proved, just about, up to code football
RecommendedFrance suffer painful symmetry with Ireland as Springboks continue southern dominanceOwen Farrell silences critics as England survive Fiji fightbackWounded warrior Dan Biggar bows out to usher in next Welsh generationAfter the best rugby weekend in recent memory, the prospect of a couple of damp squib semi-finals, sadly, looms football
But World Cups can be strange beasts, and England are already summoning the spirit of 2019, when they rose to meet and beat the All Blacks with a high-water mark performance that England still have not come close to reaching again football
A common theme among the recollections of the semi-final week four years ago was the clarity and certainty with which England approached the game, knowing on Monday or Tuesday that a final place would be theirs football
The job for Borthwick, an assistant then, is to imbue that same sense of conviction in a similar group now carrying significantly more mental scarring football
Of course, it was South Africa themselves who inflicted the deepest of psychological cuts, England’s inability to put anything on the field in the Yokohama final still a sore subject among the squad football
“Some players will use [the 2019 final] as motivation, some players will take that as a brilliant learning into this week, and hopefully that’s what they will bring,” attack coach Richard Wigglesworth said on Monday football
“But I wouldn’t like to pre-empt what [effect] feelings from four years ago have on this game football
On Saturday night, we need to be very clear that this is a semi-final in 2023, and nothing to do with 2019 football
England were beaten by South Africa in the 2019 Rugby World Cup final (Getty )“I think what we need to be careful of is pushing the emotional button too many times this week football
We need the emotion right on Saturday night, not before football
We need to make sure we control the emotional energy football
“We will go through the parts of our gameplan, we will layer those on and make sure we check and refine those parts of the plan football
We will make sure that we are fresh going into Saturday night both physically and mentally football
”Borthwick is likely to stick with a broadly similar team, though may consider another tweak in the back three football
It wasn’t that Marcus Smith, bloodied mouth and all, had a bad game against Fiji – his head coach was particularly keen to talk up his bravery in defence afterwards – but South Africa are likely to test whoever occupies the England 15 shirt rather more in the air football
Freddie Steward’s prowess under the high ball could be a rather useful attacking option against a blitz defence that can leave opportunities for an intelligent kicking game football
If Steward is returned to the starting side, it could leave George Ford and Smith vying for a single bench spot, with Ollie Lawrence continuing to be impactful as the bench centre football
While captain Owen Farrell took the plaudits, the performances of Ben Earl, answering his own call for England’s big-game players to step up, and Ollie Chessum, a physical tone-setter, alongside more familiar faces augur well in a side in need of new stars football
Ben Earl and Owen Farrell were among England’s standouts against Fiji (Getty Images)But another level will simply have to be found football
“We are probably talking about one of the best rugby teams to ever do it, aren’t we?” Wigglesworth said, illustrating the challenge England are facing football
“To be able to beat France, the form they are in, in their own back yard, that was a special performance from an incredible team football
”A couple of England players themselves admitted afterwards that they cannot afford the shaky 10 minutes that so nearly allowed Fiji a famous World Cup day football
While they were able to claw their way to victory on Sunday, South Africa are a side capable of putting England in a hole from which there will be no climbing out – as they showed in the final four years ago football
“We still don’t feel like we’ve put 80 minutes together of real, smart international test rugby,” Earl stressed football
“It’s not glamorous stuff, it’s just the odd moment football
I think some individual errors let a team like Fiji in, and they are a hard team to stop when they are rumbling football
We are football better for that, and we are in a semi-final among the best four teams in the world football
We’ll have a crack football
”More aboutEngland RugbyRugby World CupOwen FarrellBen EarlRichard WigglesworthFiji RugbySouth Africa rugbyOllie ChessumJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesComments 1/3The one England team change to combat ‘incredible’ Springboks The one England team change to combat ‘incredible’ SpringboksEngland were beaten by South Africa in the 2019 Rugby World Cup final Getty ImagesThe one England team change to combat ‘incredible’ SpringboksBen Earl and Owen Farrell were among England’s standouts against Fiji Getty ImagesThe one England team change to combat ‘incredible’ SpringboksEngland clung on against Fiji to set up a rematch of the 2019 World Cup final Getty 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 football
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 topicsfootball 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 football
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 football
Hi {{indy football
fullName}}My Independent Premium Account details Help centre Logout @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)}} football
Max Verstappen saw off Lewis Hamilton’s early challenge to claim victory in Saturday’s sprint race at the United States Grand Prix football
For the first time since their 2021 championship duel for the ages, Verstappen and Hamilton ran line astern in the 19-lap dash at Austin’s Circuit of the Americas football
But Hamilton was unable to prevent Verstappen from taking the spoils, and accumulating yet another win of this most one-sided of Formula One campaigns football
Hamilton took the chequered flag a distant 9 football
4 seconds adrift of Verstappen with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc third football
Verstappen, crowned champion of the world for a third time in Qatar a fortnight ago, took pole position earlier on Saturday and then put his elbows out at the start to ensure Leclerc did not sneak up his inside on the uphill drag to the opening bend football
Verstappen moved over to his left to squeeze the Ferrari man allowing Hamilton a clean shot at Leclerc on the exit of the first corner football
Hamilton ran over the kerbs and past the Monegasque, and then set his sights on Verstappen football
Hamilton has not won a race for nearly two years, the longest losing streak of his career football
Indeed, 685 days have passed since he claimed victory at the penultimate round of the 2021 campaign in Saudi Arabia football
But for half-a-dozen laps here, Hamilton will have dared to dream that a victory could be on the cards football
Hamilton has triumphed six times in America – with five of those victories in the Lone Star State – and his early pace certainly provided Verstappen with food for thought football
Max Verstappen won the sprint race in the United States (Getty Images)The seven-time world champion stayed within one second of Verstappen to provide him with a possible DRS slingshot past his Red Bull rival football
“Driveability is not there,” moaned Verstappen on the radio football
“I lost the rear completely football
”Hamilton then hinted his nemesis was gaining an advantage by using more of the track than is allowed football
“Max has gone off quite a few times,” said the Mercedes driver football
Hamilton has lauded the improvements from his updated machine, but the superiority of Verstappen’s Red Bull came to the fore football
TOP-8 - US GRAND PRIX SPRINT RACE 1) Max Verstappen2) Lewis Hamilton3) Charles Leclerc4) Lando Norris5) Sergio Perez6) Carlos Sainz7) Pierre Gasly8) George RussellSix laps had passed and Verstappen was suddenly out of DRS range football
A slim hope of victory for Hamilton was dashed football
Yet the 38-year-old, who starts third for tomorrow’s 56-lap main event, will expect to be a contender again football
And his chances of a possible win will be aided by Verstappen starting only in sixth after his pole lap in Friday’s qualifying was deleted for exceeding track limits football
Lando Norris took fourth spot ahead of Verstappen’s Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez, with Carlos Sainz sixth football
George Russell finished seventh but was demoted to eighth after he served a five-second penalty for an illegal move on McLaren’s Oscar Piastri football
More aboutMax VerstappenLewis HamiltonAustinCharles LeclercJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesComments1/2Verstappen holds off Hamilton challenge to win US sprint raceVerstappen holds off Hamilton challenge to win US sprint raceMax Verstappen won the sprint race in the United States Getty ImagesVerstappen holds off Hamilton challenge to win US sprint raceGetty 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 football
SubscribeAlready subscribed? Log inMost PopularPopular videosSponsored FeaturesGet in touchContact usOur ProductsSubscribeRegisterNewslettersDonateToday’s EditionInstall our appArchiveOther publicationsInternational editionsIndependent en EspañolIndependent ArabiaIndependent TurkishIndependent PersianIndependent UrduEvening StandardExtrasAdvisorPuzzlesAll topicsfootball 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 football
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 football
Hi {{indy football
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