Couple David Reyrat
Published 1 minute ago, Updated 1 minute ago
England captain Owen Farrell motivates his teammates during the victorious quarter-final against the Fiji Islands on October 15 in Marseille. SYLVAIN THOMAS/AFP
DECRYPTION – Coming out of a long period of poor results, the XV de la Rose reached, surprisingly, the semi-finals of this World Cup.
Not many people were banking on England’s presence in the final four. For (at least) two years, the poor results of the XV de la Rose did not argue in this direction. Only 8 wins in 21 matches; bitter defeats at home against Ireland and Argentina in 2022, against Scotland, France (a 53-10 defeat at Twickenham in March, the heaviest defeat in its history) and, even, Fiji, in 2023. The dismissal of coach Eddie Jones in December 2022 and his replacement by Steve Borthwick had not changed the agony. The English press made no mistake, launching an onslaught of criticism. Depression had even spread to the supporters, who no longer really believed in it.
And, against all expectations, here are the English in the last four, ready to challenge South Africa this Saturday evening at the Stade de France, to reach the final, as in 2019. What’s more, they are the only undefeated team in the competition. “And we must stay that way if we want to win…
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