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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 sports
England’s pack, and their front row in particular, will have had four years of sleepless nights about that early November evening in 2019 sports
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 sports
The Springboks, then as now, pride themselves on their physicality and brutality at the breakdown, the set-piece and in open play sports
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 sports
Yet it still wasn’t enough sports
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 sports
The Springbok celebrations were more muted this time, understandably so given there is one more crucial match against the All Blacks standing sports between them and their ultimate goal, but the English heartbreak was the same, even if the journey to get there was vastly different sports
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 sports
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 sports
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 sports
And the fact they not only survived, but thrived, in the front row this time around will have been sheer vindication sports
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 sports
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 sports
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 sports
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 sports
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 sports
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 sports
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 sports
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 sports
If Boks lock Eben Etzesports beth is world rugby’s best maul disruptor, then he may have witnessed first-hand the emergence of a new challenger to that crown sports
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 sports
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 sports
It began putting clear doubt in Springbok minds, as the worried tone from skipper Siya Kolisi when he discussed matter with referee O’Keeffe sports betrayed sports
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 sports
But ultimately, despite a gameplan executed as well as it possibly could have been, the gap in quality sports between the sides proved too much to overcome sports
South Africa adjusted, Pollard came on for Manie Libbok to dictate proceedings with his metronomic boot and English heartbreak ensued sports
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 sports
But that won’t make this semi-final hurt any less sports
Perhaps 2027 will give them an opportunity to avenge a new pain sports
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 sports
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Jonny Bairstow has broken his lengthy silence on his controversial stumping during the second Ashes Test at Lord’s and accused Australia of gamesmanship when taking contentious catches in the drawn series sports
Bairstow was at the centre of the incident which ignited the Ashes, when Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carey opportunistically stumped the England batsman after he had stepped out of his crease at the end of an over sports
The umpire had not called “over” and so Bairstow was given out by the rules of the game sports
But England accused their rivals of failing to play within the spirit of cricket, and captain Ben Stokes later said that he would have retracted the appeal had he been in the position of his counterpart, Pat Cummins sports
On reflection, Carey later said he had no regrets over the incident and would do it again sports
“If there was an opportunity to get a stumping, I definitely would sports
To see how much has played out since then it’s been a little bit surprising sports
There’s been some nasty stuff been said but it is the Ashes – there was nasty stuff said before that as well sports
”But speaking to the Daily Telegraph, Bairstow said he was not “fair game” as he was not trying to gain an advantage by stepping out of his crease sports
“If you’re starting out of your crease, you’re trying to gain an advantage,” he said sports
“If you start in your crease, and not trying to take a run, and you finish in your crease sports
sports
sports
That’s the bit – if you try to gain an advantage, then it’s fair game sports
But if you’re starting in your crease, you’ve ducked, tap, tap, scratched sports
I’ve even dragged my bat, looked up, and then gone sports
“I’ve never seen it happen from someone starting in their crease sports
I don’t think you want that filtering down into kids’ cricket sports
Look at the Mankads and everything like that sports
You want young kids to be out there batting and having fun, not thinking about whether the fielders might do this or that sports
“It might tarnish people’s enjoyment of the game that we’re trying to get kids into sports
You want to be out there batting and bowling, rather than thinking about the 11 different ways you can get someone out sports
”Several of Australia’s players have since poked fun at Bairstow over the stumping sports
In interviews for The Grade Cricketer, Mitchell Marsh and Usman Khawaja claimed some of Bairstow’s England teammates were laughing with Australia’s players as Bairstow refused to eat lunch after the incident sports
And Marnus Labuschagne described a “steaming” Bairstow in the dining room after the stumping sports
He recalled: “The Sky crew (broadcasters) knew that Jonny was in there, and they just replayed it on the screen sports
And, as you do, everyone’s watching sports
Obviously, seeing us all watch, he’s like, ‘Are you guys happy with that?’“David Warner is spitting out his chicken, and goes, ‘Yeah, very’ sports
”Bairstow has also suggested Australia were deceitful in the way they went about trying to convince umpires they had made clean catches sports
“There’s conjecture around everything,” he said sports
“Fingers underneath the ball when the ball’s still touching the ground sports
Celebrating when the ball has touched the ground sports
Marnus [Labuschagne] celebrated at Edgbaston at short leg sports
Then the one that Rooty [Joe Root] fell to at Lord’s, when [Steve Smith] said his fingers were underneath the ball sports
However, they were splayed widely sports
But that was given out, that’s fine – it’s part and parcel of the game and the decisions the umpires give sports
”Bairstow is currently part of the England one-day side struggling at the Cricket World Cup and on the verge of elimination sports
England next play Sri Lanka on Thursday in Bangalore sports
More aboutJonny BairstowAlex CareyEngland cricketAshesJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesComments1/1Bairstow breaks silence on Lord’s stumping as he reopens Ashes woundsBairstow breaks silence on Lord’s stumping as he reopens Ashes woundsJonny Bairstow discusses the finer points of the incident with Australia’s Travis Head Action Images via Reuters✕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 sports
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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 sports
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