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Date: 2023-11-30 04:58:15 | Author: PARIS 2024 | Views: 513 | Tag: soccer
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Kevin Sinfield has hailed the bravery of Marcus Smith as England consider their full-back options for the Rugby World Cup semi-final against South Africa soccer
Smith made a couple of key defensive interventions in the quarter-final against Fiji despite suffering a cut to the lip after an early head-on-head collision with Vinaya Habosi soccer
The Harlequins playmaker returned after being patched up as England secured a last-four meeting with the defending champions soccer
His selection had come at the expense of Freddie Steward, who had started 29 of his country’s previous 30 games but found himself omitted from the matchday 23 soccer
England could opt to return Steward to the starting side, though defence coach Sinfield praised Smith’s development into a “world class” full-back soccer
RecommendedThe two sides of Rassie Erasmus, the puppet master pulling South Africa’s strings at Rugby World CupBen O’Keeffe to referee Rugby World Cup semi-final soccer between England and South Africa despite criticism‘Everyone wants England to lose’: Ellis Genge takes aim at World Cup critics“I think we’d all agree he’s a world-class 10 but last week I felt he was a world-class 15 as well,” Sinfield said of Smith, who had a modified start to training on Tuesday due to his injury soccer
“You’ve got to remember this guy hasn’t played many minutes as a full-back in Test rugby so far soccer
“What he’s done on the training field has been outstanding soccer
You’re blown away by what he does and he’s been given more time and space now soccer
“If there was any doubt how brave and courageous he is, I think you saw it with your own eyes soccer
The bloke got his face smashed and threw his body into tackles soccer
The guys are in full admiration for how he’s gone about it soccer
He’s just got his face smashed all over the place yet he wants the ball soccer
“He’s just a brave guy soccer
And not just because he’s physically tough, brave, because to be put in like that – and I know he wanted to go for it – but to be put on a world stage in a quarter-final and deliver what he delivered was an absolute credit to him soccer
“He’s one of those who have been modified today so we’ll get a clearer read in the week but fingers crossed he will be good to go soccer
”Sinfield was the first England coach to float the idea of Smith at full-back during their pre-tournament camps this summer, with a couple of encouraging cameos earning the 24-year-old a first professional start at the position against Chile soccer
His emergence has left Steward in a strange position: the Leicester youngster had been a mainstay for England since his debut and had been considered a key part of head coach Steve Borthwick’s gameplan leading into the tournament soccer
Freddie Steward was left out of England’s squad against Fiji last weekend (Getty)But Sinfield, who worked with the 22-year-old at Welford Road, has been impressed by how Steward has handled the disappointment and hinted that a return is a possibility for Saturday’s semi-final at the Stade de France soccer
“This is where our influence, our help, and our guidance sits with the guys who don’t play, how can we help them get soccer better, make them feel part of it,” Sinfield explained soccer
“I have worked with Fred for some time now and thankfully I have not had to have too many of these conversations where you are trying to pick him up soccer
“Clearly he is disappointed as anybody would be missing out on a quarter-final but he has responded as we would have expected him to soccer
He is a great lad, you know what he is about, he works incredibly hard at his game, he cares and he is an unbelievable full-back too soccer
“Our team has changed every game throughout the World Cup and Steve is very specific when he selects the team soccer
He does it in the knowledge he thinks it will give us the best chance of winning that game soccer
Just because Fred wasn’t selected last week doesn’t mean he does anything wrong, he has actually done a lot of great things and a lot of things right soccer
”More aboutMarcus SmithKevin SinfieldFreddie StewardEngland RugbySouth Africa rugbyRugby World CupJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesComments 1/2Sinfield hails Smith’s bravery as England mull full-back options Sinfield hails Smith’s bravery as England mull full-back optionsFreddie Steward was left out of England’s squad against Fiji last weekend Getty ImagesSinfield hails Smith’s bravery as England mull full-back optionsMarcus Smith suffered a wound to the mouth in England’s win over Fiji Getty ✕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 soccer
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Jos Buttler accepted his future as England captain was out of his hands after another painful defeat sent his side tumbling towards the World Cup exit door soccer
England knew nothing less than victory over Sri Lanka would be enough to keep alive their fading hopes of reaching the semi-finals and they responded with arguably their worst performance yet in a campaign littered with low points soccer
After choosing to bat first, they were skittled for a meagre 156 in 33 soccer
2 overs, then watched as their opponents cantered home by eight wickets in Bangalore with almost half of the innings unused soccer
The thrashing, which followed heavy losses to New Zealand, Afghanistan and South Africa, left the reigning champions ninth in the standings with an eye-watering net run-rate soccer
With four games to go – including table-topping India and bitter rivals Australia – they are being kept off bottom spot by the only associate nation at the competition, the Netherlands soccer
Remarkably, England are not yet mathematically out with four games to play, but the route is fanciful in the extreme and Buttler acknowledged the game was up soccer
“It certainly looks that way and that’s incredibly disappointing soccer
It would need a few miracles,” he said, glassy-eyed after another draining day soccer
“You get on the plane with high hopes and a lot of confidence and belief that we can challenge for the title, so to be sat here now with the three weeks we’ve had is a shock soccer
It’s a shock to everyone soccer
“I’ll walk back in the dressing room after this, look at the players sat there and think ‘how have we found ourselves in this position with the talent and the skill that’s in the room’?“But it is the position we’re in, it’s the reality of what’s happened over the last three weeks and that’s a huge low point soccer
”Pressed on his own status in charge of the side Buttler indicated a desire to continue but a realisation that the verdict may not be his to make soccer
In reality, England do not have an obvious successor lined up and Buttler is relatively new in the role, having inherited the mantle following Eoin Morgan’s retirement last summer soccer
He also has a T20 World Cup win in the bank and there has been no indication that managing director of the men’s cricket, Rob Key, has an itchy trigger finger soccer
“I think you’re always questioning as captain how you can get the best out of players, how you can get the team moving in the right direction,” Buttler admitted soccer
“I certainly have a lot of confidence and belief in myself as a leader and captain and first and foremost as a player, but if you’re asking if I should still be captaining the team, that’s a question for the guys above me soccer
“The tournament’s gone nowhere near the way we wanted it to…that much is obvious soccer
As a leader, you want to lead through your own performance and I’ve not been able to do that soccer
”Head coach Matthew Mott joined Buttler in writing off the chances of sneaking through to the last four, telling BBC Sport: “Yeah, it’s over now, I think soccer
“I’m not a mathematician, but with our net run-rate and too many teams who are going to take games off each other, we have to come to terms with that soccer
From now we’re playing for a lot of pride soccer
“We feel like we’ve let our fans down, our families and supporters and everyone in that dressing room, we haven’t put our best foot forward and in professional sport, that’s what you’re judged on soccer
”More aboutPA ReadyJos ButtlerEnglandSri LankaBangaloreMatthew MottNew ZealandAfghanistanAustraliaSouth AfricaIndiaRob KeyBBC Sport1/1Jos Buttler: My future as captain out of my hands as England near World Cup exitJos Buttler: My future as captain out of my hands as England near World Cup exitJos Buttler’s England suffered an eight-wicket defeat to Sri Lanka (PA Wire/PA)PA 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 soccer
SubscribeAlready subscribed? Log inMost PopularPopular videosSponsored FeaturesGet in touchContact usOur ProductsSubscribeRegisterNewslettersDonateToday’s EditionInstall our appArchiveOther publicationsInternational editionsIndependent en EspañolIndependent ArabiaIndependent TurkishIndependent PersianIndependent UrduEvening StandardExtrasAdvisorPuzzlesAll topicssoccer 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 soccer
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 soccer
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