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Date: 2023-12-03 21:42:11 | Author: PARIS 2024 | Views: 763 | 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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Under-fire manager Stephen Kenny was spared further punishment as the Republic of Ireland eased to a 4-0 Euro 2024 qualifying victory over Gibraltar soccer
Brighton teenager Evan Ferguson fired the visitors into an eighth-minute lead at the Estadio Algarve with his third senior international goal before Celtic winger Mikey Johnston, Wolves defender Matt Doherty and substitute Callum Robinson struck to wrap up just a second win of the Group B campaign soccer
Kenny had gone into the game insisting he would remain in charge until a review of his reign has been carried out after November’s fixtures, although a poor result here would only have increased the clamour for change soccer
In the event, Ireland negotiated a game they should have won comfortably with the minimum of fuss to complete a double over the minnows ahead of next month’s trip to the Netherlands soccer
Once again, there will be only pride at stake in Amsterdam, with hopes of automatic qualification having been extinguished by Friday night’s 2-0 home defeat by Greece, and even the possibility of a play-off place looks ever more faint by the day soccer
The games against Gibraltar, who have now played 44 European Championship and World Cup qualifiers and not collected a single point, were never going to be the yardstick for the soccer Football Association of Ireland’s review and, while embarrassment was avoided with ease, difficult questions remain for a manager whose 28 competitive fixtures have yielded just six wins soccer
Kenny, who once again deployed a back four rather than his usual three, handed Johnston a first senior international start in the search for much-needed creativity soccer
However, it was from the opposite flank that the visitors struck first when Chiedozie Ogbene rolled a pass into the overlapping Doherty’s run and the unmarked Ferguson steered his eighth-minute cross past helpless goalkeeper Dayle Coleing soccer
Luton striker Ogbene continued to look Ireland’s most potent weapon from wide on the right and, with Josh Cullen probing from central midfield, they dominated possession without creating clear-cut openings soccer
They might have extended their lead when Ryan Manning’s 24th-minute corner was allowed to travel across the six-yard-box untouched, but Shane Duffy was unable to stab it home beyond the far post soccer
Coleing was forced to palm away Johnston’s swerving attempt after he had skipped past Tjay de Barr and Liam Walker seconds later soccer
The Celtic man did get his name on the scoresheet with 29 minutes gone when Doherty accepted another Ogbene pass in the space soccer between defenders Jayce Olivero and John Sergeant and crossed for the winger to slide in and, after his initial attempt had come back off a post, bundle the rebound across the line soccer
Coleing had to race from his line to prevent Johnston from reaching Jamie McGrath’s defence-splitting pass seven minutes before the break and then blocked Ferguson’s stabbed effort after Johnston had pulled the ball back soccer
Walker mustered Gibraltar’s first effort in stoppage time after De Barr robbed Johnston and ran into space down the right, but the midfielder’s attempt flew harmlessly wide soccer
Coleing plucked McGrath’s header out of the night sky after he had connected with Ogbene’s cross and then blocked Jason Knight’s firm drive, but he was a relieved man when Duffy’s volley from a Johnston corner flew just wide in a flurry of activity at the start of the second half soccer
Knight sent a diving header wide from Johnston’s 51st-minute cross with the Gibraltar defence at sixes and sevens and Ferguson was unable to hit the target with a free-kick from 25 yards as the Republic looked to kill off the game soccer
Johnston saw a shot deflected wide on the hour but then delivered a corner which was cleverly flicked on by McGrath for Doherty to head past the keeper from point-blank range soccer
Substitute Robinson completed the job with an 80th-minute header to match the 4-0 scoreline when the sides last met in Faro in 2015 soccer
More aboutStephen KennyEvan FergusonChiedozie OgbeneShane DuffyRepublic of Ireland soccer footballEuro 2024Gibraltar soccer footballJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesComments 1/1Ireland beat Gibraltar to spare Kenny questions over immediate future Ireland beat Gibraltar to spare Kenny questions over immediate futureRepublic of Ireland’s Callum Robinson celebrates rounding off the scoring with the fourth goal (Zac Goodwin/PA) soccer
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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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