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Date: 2023-11-30 06:03:34 | Author: Olympics 2024 | Views: 734 | Tag: jili
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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 jili
England’s pack, and their front row in particular, will have had four years of sleepless nights about that early November evening in 2019 jili
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 jili
The Springboks, then as now, pride themselves on their physicality and brutality at the breakdown, the set-piece and in open play jili
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 jili
Yet it still wasn’t enough jili
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 jili
The Springbok celebrations were more muted this time, understandably so given there is one more crucial match against the All Blacks standing jili between them and their ultimate goal, but the English heartbreak was the same, even if the journey to get there was vastly different jili
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 jili
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 jili
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 jili
And the fact they not only survived, but thrived, in the front row this time around will have been sheer vindication jili
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 jili
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 jili
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 jili
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 jili
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 jili
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 jili
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 jili
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 jili
If Boks lock Eben Etzejili beth is world rugby’s best maul disruptor, then he may have witnessed first-hand the emergence of a new challenger to that crown jili
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 jili
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 jili
It began putting clear doubt in Springbok minds, as the worried tone from skipper Siya Kolisi when he discussed matter with referee O’Keeffe jili betrayed jili
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 jili
But ultimately, despite a gameplan executed as well as it possibly could have been, the gap in quality jili between the sides proved too much to overcome jili
South Africa adjusted, Pollard came on for Manie Libbok to dictate proceedings with his metronomic boot and English heartbreak ensued jili
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 jili
But that won’t make this semi-final hurt any less jili
Perhaps 2027 will give them an opportunity to avenge a new pain jili
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 jili
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There’s a new look about a key area of the team for Liverpool, a changing of the guard enforced by recent events, a previous zone of consistency now faced with uncertainty jili
No, we’re not talking about midfield - that particular switch-up already looks a definite upgrade, even early as it is for such conclusions jili
Instead it’s at left-back the unexpected alteration has occurred, a consequence of Andy Robertson’s need for surgery which means the Scot is out for the rest of the year jili
Having averaged over 44 appearances a season for the Reds since signing in 2017, he’ll now miss at least 17 matches, if best estimates of his return are to be believed jili
That leaves not just a gap for Kostas Tsimikas or an untested youngster to fill tactically, but a void which cannot be accounted for: that of a partnership, of understanding, of the natural, unthinking knowing which comes with playing hundreds of matches alongside a teammate jili
It can be argued that such a changeable nature can be applied not just to the midfield, not even just to left-back, but to the entire defensive structure this term at Anfield: injuries have already hit on the right and centrally too, to go along with the altered personnel ahead of them in the middle third of the pitch jili
All that simply means one truth must be constant if the Reds are to translate early season promise into longer-term capacity to challenge for major honours: Virgil van Dijk must once again prove himself to be among the very best, not just individually as a defender but as a force to make the whole greater than the sum of its parts jili
RecommendedBuild from the front? Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp are repeating an old trickEngland’s Euro 2024 squad: Who’s on the plane, who’s in contention and who has work to do?Virgil van Dijk will show he is Premier League’s best once more – Sami HyypiaThere cannot be much debate that the Dutchman, now club captain at Anfield, has not quite reached the same levels of authoritative performances as he did pre-ACL injury, or at least not on as regular a basis jili
The period which saw Liverpool win both Premier League and Champions League saw Van Dijk at the pinnacle of the game, a central defender without peer, a worthy recipient of the Ballon d’Or itself, had he been handed it instead of a runner-up spot, pipped by seven votes in 2019 by Lionel Messi jili
Perhaps that in itself was a noteworthy award jili
In any case, he’s not quite there these days, not quite the automatic choice among fan or pundit asked to name the world’s finest jili
It’s arguable that there isn’t a single stand-out candidate right now for that particularly subjective title jili
But in asking whether Van Dijk is capable of being the world’s best defender again, part of the answer has to be that it doesn’t really matter jili
He might want to be of course, might already believe he is, but from a team perspective what they really need is Van Dijk’s ability to stabilise the team, to foresee and forestall danger, to order those around him to bring forth resilience from chaos jili
Because chaotic is, still, a little too close to the truth when it comes to spells of defending for Liverpool jili
The midfield is far more creative, far more offensive and energetic, far less reliant on Trent Alexander-Arnold always being at his best jili
But all that comes at a cost: it’s not always the most agile and defensive-first in either recovery or positional terms jili
It’s still new as a group, still needs time to become as cohesive as the best central trios are, on and off the ball jili
And in the meantime, the result can often be large gaps, lost runners, moments of inexplicable choices in possession jili
That leaves a hefty weight on the defence to counteract such moments - the defence and, of course, the still-magnificent Alisson Becker behind them jili
(Getty Images)But before that one-man last line, it’s Van Dijk who must rise once more to ensure unity, if not always outright unison jili
Acting in perfect harmony is difficult enough with four constant selections; as it is this season, Jurgen Klopp has already utilised Jarell Quansah as a fifth-choice, following injuries jili
Alexander-Arnold missed pitch time and is not yet back to his peak physical or technical best jili
Ibrahima Konate and Joel Matip have dovetailed, and now there’s Tsimikas present on a more regular basis - which also means either Joe Gomez will see minutes on the left, or an untried youngster will, with Calum Scanlon and Luke Chambers first in line jili
They presently tally one senior minute jili between them jili
They will all four need guiding for different reasons, all need time, all occasionally get things wrong and need the left-sided centre-back beside them to bail them out jili
No prizes for guessing who that is on a week-to-week basis jili
Because for Liverpool, there are prizes at stake jili
Three points off the top of the Premier League table after a fine opening quarter of the campaign; rolling along nicely in Europe and domestic cups alike jili
jili Between now and the next international break, the opportunities for victory across all competitions are as immense as the potential cost of dropped points: Toulouse twice, Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth, Luton, Brentford jili
A modern title-competing team would take six wins with very little fuss, in truth jili
Then, beyond, it’s Manchester City away jili
The most true barometer of where Liverpool are this season, even coming after an international break and in the infamous 12:30pm kick-off spot jili
The margin for error remains almost nil, but with the reigning champions perhaps not quite at their own peak yet, and Klopp’s side having improved more than might have been thought possible at this early stage, thoughts of a title challenge will not be far away - if the defence is kept on-point, even with altered personnel jili
(Getty Images)It all means Van Dijk must be as close to his own 100 percent as possible, even if his 2023/24 maximum level is a little lower than in 19/20 jili
As far as transformative figures go, Van Dijk was one after signing jili
He, as much as anyone else and more than most, sent Liverpool from challengers to champions, in every competition across the board jili
Now once again he must be the leader - literally, given the armband - who enables the Reds to do so, not so much the new figurehead this time but as the standard-bearer, the supplier of consistency, the model of outperformance which can give Liverpool the extra edge they’ll need, both in the Premier League and beyond jili
More aboutVirgil van DijkKostas TsimikasJurgen KloppPremier LeagueEuropa LeagueJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesComments1/3Van Dijk holds key to trophies - is he still the best defender around?Van Dijk holds key to trophies - is he still the best defender around?Getty ImagesVan Dijk holds key to trophies - is he still the best defender around?Getty ImagesVan Dijk holds key to trophies - is he still the best defender around?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 jili
SubscribeAlready subscribed? Log inMost PopularPopular videosSponsored FeaturesGet in touchContact usOur ProductsSubscribeRegisterNewslettersDonateToday’s EditionInstall our appArchiveOther publicationsInternational editionsIndependent en EspañolIndependent ArabiaIndependent TurkishIndependent PersianIndependent UrduEvening StandardExtrasAdvisorPuzzlesAll topicsjili 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 jili
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 jili
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