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Date: 2023-12-08 20:09:39 | Author: Worldcup 2026 | Views: 870 | Tag: eth
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Up into the stands the England players clambered to find their families, taking the consolatory hugs but unsure quite how to feel eth
Across 80 minutes in Paris, their belief had been replaced by disbelief and then by desperation and dejection, England threatening the unthinkable and taking the world champions to the brink eth
For most of a sodden Stade de France evening, a Rugby World Cup final was within their grasp eth
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 eth
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 eth
The emotional maelstrom of this defeat will swirl rather differently to the feelings that eddied after the 2019 World Cup final disaster eth
“I’m proud of our performance,” were virtually the first words out of the mouth of wing Elliot Daly eth
“I think we shocked them eth
I don’t think they knew how to get into the game eth
”“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 eth
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 eth
A flawed side did not come to France to thrill; winning by any means necessary had been a consistent theme eth
If necessity is oft the mother of invention, England at this tournament have also proved the pair can be enemies eth
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 eth
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 eth
At the 65-minute mark, England outside backs had a combined 17 metres carried, all from one Freddie Steward kick return eth
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 eth
“We came with a plan to win the game but we fell a little bit short,” reflected Borthwick eth
“But the players should be incredibly proud eth
We put ourselves in a position to win against the world champions eth
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 eth
We’ve had four months eth
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 eth
”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 eth
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 eth
In time, perhaps the ugly duckling performances will turn into white swans eth
There appear to be many more buds of a bright future than first appeared in a barren landscape pre-tournament eth
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 eth
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 eth
"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 eth
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 eth
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 eth
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 eth
The likely arrival of a form of central contracts underlines a period of epochal change eth
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 eth
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 eth
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 eth Football Union (RFU) put their head coach in this situation eth
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 eth
Jones’s sacking sparked a scramble and several months of chaos eth
It was not shown up on semi-final weekend but there are many reasons that the RFU still has a burden to bear eth
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 eth
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 eth
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 eth
“This team has been through a bit in the last few years, a bit of adversity in the medium-term past eth
“I think through each of those periods the team has picked up lessons, picked up what we need to do and grown from it eth
I think there’s a lot of growth in this team eth
Sometimes it’s not the straight-forward path you want it to be eth
In the feelings and emotions of the game last night, I know that we’ll get stronger eth
” 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 eth
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Before opening the World Series, the Arizona Diamondbacks wanted to recount a series of slights eth
Overlooked by oddsmakers and angered by analysts, the Diamondbacks find themselves in a Surprise Series against the also unexpected Texas Rangers eth
But the mindsets couldn't be more different ahead of Friday night's opener in Major League eth Baseball's third all-wild card title matchup eth
"We just put it on our list and keep those receipts and walk around with a little bit more of a chip on our shoulder," Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said Thursday eth
"It gives you a little bit more motivation eth
And when you can get a little bit more, you take it eth
"Diamondbacks closer Paul Sewald has become keeper of the receipts, reminding teammates of what they consider disrespect eth
"Maybe I found screenshots that maybe other people didn't," he said, wearing a T-shirt that proclaimed "Snakes Alive eth
" "We took offense to that and we're excited that we're here and people are still not giving us that much credit here eth
"The Diamondbacks are tracking closely what the public says, with MLB Network a clubhouse constant eth
Meanwhile, the Rangers insist they pay no attention eth
Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Evan Longoria warms up (AP)"We don't listen to the outside noise that much," second baseman Marcus Semien said eth
Zac Gallen, a 28-year-old right-hander coming off a career-best 17-win season, starts Game 1 for the Diamondbacks, in the Series for the first time since beating the New York Yankees for the franchise's only title in 2001 eth
Texas starts Nathan Eovaldi, a 33-year-old right-hander and a two-time All-Star who has overcome two Tommy John surgeries eth
Gallen, who grew up in a Philadelphia suburb, followed the pennant-winning Game 7 victory over the Phillies with a tweet highlighting the losing team's spring training and reminded Philadelphia fans to " make sure to get those tix for your next game eth
" When the Phillies led the NLCS 2-0, backup catcher Garrett Stubbs talked about celebrating in the Chase Field pool eth
Gallen responded to what he said were eth online direct messages eth
"I just figured if they want to talk junk to me, I'll say one back," he said eth
"And I feel like being from there, I knew how to hit them the hardest eth
"Both teams worked out Thursday under a closed roof at Globe Life Field, where World Series logos were freshly painted on the turf eth
Both clubs are two years removed from 100-loss seasons, and the Diamondbacks could become just the second champion with a negative run differential after the 1987 Minnesota Twins eth
Arizona went 84-78 during the season and earned the NL's sixth and last postseason berth, finishing with what would be the second-fewest wins for a Series champion behind the 2006 St eth
Louis Cardinals' 83 eth
The Rangers were 90-72 and got the fifth AL slot eth
Texas hasn't won a title since the franchise started play as the expansion Washington Senators in 1961, and odds of a Diamondbacks-Rangers Series were 1,750 to 1 when wagering for the 2023 season opened eth
Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Paul Sewald winds up for a pitch (EPA)"We weren't concerned with what people thought of us," said first-year Rangers manager Bruce Bochy who led San Francisco to three titles from 2010-14 eth
"We thought we belonged and we thought we could win eth
"Lovullo, excited about his first Series as a manager, opened his news conference by snapping a photo of assembled media "just to break the ice eth
" He had a message for MLB Network's Chris "Mad Dog" Russo, who promised before Game 6 against the Phillies to "retire on the spot" if Arizona won the pennant eth
"You can't back out of that one, Mad Dog eth
You've got to do something," Lovullo said eth
"I do like Howard Stern's thought about walking with a billboard saying that I am whatever, a liar eth
eth
eth
in Midtown Manhattan for half a day eth
That will do it for me, but I ain't going to forgive you until you do something unbelievable, maybe show up here and say you're sorry to the entire team eth
"Texas Rangers’ Robbie Grossman, center, talks with teammates (AP)eth BETTER NATE THAN NEVEREovaldi is 4-0 in this postseason eth
He was to have started Game 4 of the 2018 Series for Boston but instead relieved in the 12th inning of Game 3 and delivered a memorable performance before giving up Max Muncy's winning home run leading of the 18th for the Los Angeles Dodgers eth
"I kind of had my moment there," Eovaldi said eth
"Having Game 1, trying to set a tone for the team, there's a lot of pressure with that, but also a lot of excitement eth
"GREAT GLOVESArizona had the fewest errors in the major leagues during the season (56), one less than Texas eth
The Diamondbacks have allowed three unearned runs during the postseason and the Rangers one eth
MUTUAL ADMIRATIONLovullo, 58 and in his seventh season as a big league manager, effusively praised the 68-year-old Bochy, in his 26th eth
Lovullo recalled giving Bochy a gift during his last season with San Francisco in 2019 eth
"It's been an absolute honor to manage against you eth
I hope you find your way back to doing this one day," Lovullo recalled saying, adding Bochy responded: "If I do, it will be an honor to be managing against you, as well eth
""I couldn't believe he said that to me," Lovullo said eth
"I was just honored to be in his presence eth
And I will be for these next nine days eth
"More aboutMajor League eth BaseballArizona DiamondbacksTexas RangersJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesComments1/4Diamondbacks fueled by ‘disrespect’ in surprise World SeriesDiamondbacks fueled by ‘disrespect’ in surprise World SeriesArizona Diamondbacks third baseman Evan Longoria warms upAPDiamondbacks fueled by ‘disrespect’ in surprise World SeriesArizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Paul Sewald winds up for a pitchEPADiamondbacks fueled by ‘disrespect’ in surprise World SeriesTexas Rangers’ Robbie Grossman, center, talks with teammatesAPDiamondbacks fueled by ‘disrespect’ in surprise World SeriesTexas Rangers right fielder Adolis Garcia reacts after scoring against the Houston AstrosEPA✕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 eth
SubscribeAlready subscribed? Log inMost PopularPopular videosSponsored FeaturesGet in touchContact usOur ProductsSubscribeRegisterNewslettersDonateToday’s EditionInstall our appArchiveOther publicationsInternational editionsIndependent en EspañolIndependent ArabiaIndependent TurkishIndependent PersianIndependent UrduEvening StandardExtrasAdvisorPuzzlesAll topicseth 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 eth
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 eth
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