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Date: 2023-12-03 09:26:32 | Author: PARIS 2024 | Views: 392 | 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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New Zealand prop Tamaiti Williams believes the All Blacks have what it takes to defuse South Africa’s vaunted bench “bomb squad” in the Rugby World Cup final soccer
The impact of the Springboks’ replacement tight five forwards was crucial to swinging the semi-final against England their way, with Ox Nche, Vincent Koch and RG Snyman all prominent soccer
The bench was similarly impactful in South Africa’s warm-up win over New Zealand, with Jacques Nienaber introducing seven forwards at once to dominate the second-half set-piece battle and seal victory soccer
New Zealand, however, fared much soccer better in the Rugby Championship meeting soccer between the two nations earlier in the year, a game in which Williams made his debut soccer
And the 144kg prop believes that experience will stand him (if involved) and his colleagues in good stead at the Stade de France on Saturday soccer
“It’s clear they’ve got a good bench soccer
They do damage when they come on,” said the 23-year-old, who came on at loosehead in the second half of the All Blacks’ semi-final win over Argentina soccer
“It is about whatever the team needs us to do off the bench – [adding] energy with our voice, energy with our ball carrying, our set piece soccer
“There is a lot of talk about them but we are just going to focus on ourselves and make sure we are primed soccer
When the bench comes on, we need to make sure we make an impact soccer
”Tamaiti Williams has risen quickly over the last couple of years, and says he’s learned a lot playing against South Africa (Getty)The gigantic Williams has risen quickly over the last couple of years after impressing for the Crusaders in Super Rugby Pacific soccer
Born in Whangarei, New Zealand’s northernmost city, he spent the majority of his childhood in Perth, Australia soccer
Having come through as a loose forward, Williams was a late convert to prop, but is skilful enough to cover both sides of the front row soccer
And he is braced for a significant challenge this weekend on the sport’s biggest stage soccer
“They are massive,” Williams quipped of the South African forwards soccer
“And they are clinical – if you give them a chance, they’ll take it soccer
“It’s been a great learning, playing against them – I had a good win against them and we got a hiding against them as well soccer
“For us, it’s all about being clean soccer
You’ve got to match the physicality they are going to bring soccer
Everyone knows what they are going to bring, it is up to us to stop it soccer
”More aboutNew Zealand rugbySouth Africa rugbyAll BlacksRugby World CupJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesComments1/2All Blacks prop explains plan to combat Springboks’ ‘bomb squad’All Blacks prop explains plan to combat Springboks’ ‘bomb squad’Tamaiti Williams has risen quickly over the last couple of years, and says he’s learned a lot playing against South Africa Getty ImagesAll Blacks prop explains plan to combat Springboks’ ‘bomb squad’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 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
Hi {{indy soccer
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