Rugby World Cup: England to battle years of hurt from South Africa in bid to reach final
They’re the big underdogs heading into the game in Paris tonight, but England’s rugby players have become used to being written off lately.
Their form heading into the tournament in France was woeful, and yet they’re the only unbeaten side left in the semi-finals.
Now they face a South Africa team that’s proved to be their nemesis at several other World Cups.
Happy England fans during the group game against Japan
The prospect of trying to beat South Africa and set up another shot at glory – their fifth final – will give England fans with long – and short – memories, nightmares.
The Springboks have ended England’s chances in two World Cup finals – in 2007 and 2019 – as well as one quarter-final and a group game.
They’re the reigning world champions, the world’s number one team, and they’ve just dumped out the highly fancied home nation in an epic quarter-final, while England struggled past Fiji, who are ranked 10th.
England head coach Steve Borthwick before the quarter-final against Fiji
England’s only success against them in the biggest tournament in the sport came in a 2003 pool match, when Sir Clive Woodward’s eventual winners triumphed 25-6 in Perth.
But it’s the 2019 game that many will focus on this weekend, not least because a total of 28 players across the two squads are survivors of that match in Yokohama, won 32-12 by the Africans.
In that game, a far stronger, more talented and in-form England than the current group, was outmuscled by the Springboks, whose forward dominance caused mayhem at the scrum and lineout.
Four years on, South Africa’s strength is again in the pack and, this year, in their tactical use of their bench – dubbed the “Bomb Squad”.
Their thrilling 29-28 quarter-final win over France showed their wings are a match for any team.
England’s Jonny Wilkinson (C) downcast after being beaten by South Africa in the 2007 Rugby World Cup final
England captain, Owen Farrell, one of those who played in the Yokohama defeat, said, simply, “it was a long time ago”.
We’ve played each other a good few times since and we’re looking at what we can do going into Saturday,” he said,
“This feels like a new challenge… a new opportunity. In four years, a lot happens in rugby, a lot happens in a week here. We feel like we’ve obviously changed as a team. I imagine South Africa feel like they’ve changed over four years as well.”
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England coach Steve Borthwick is a divisive figure for some, fostering a classic sporting siege mentality while in France, defying critics of his team’s sometimes uninspiring style.
Borthwick said he’d heard “tens of thousands of people are coming across [from England]” for the game and talked of a “special feeling” in the French capital ahead of the match.
He said he hoped his team would “put in a performance all their supporters are proud of”.
Another South Africa defeat for England – in the 2019 Rugby World Cup final
That could be a tall order as, while he praised their contribution to England’s success so far, others aren’t so sure fans have been impressed by his work since replacing Eddie Jones in December.
Against Argentina, in their opening match of the tournament, there was raucous support for their 14-man victory, but there were also 6,000 empty seats for their quarter-final win over Fiji.
England’s last match before heading to France was a first-ever defeat to the Islanders, part of a pre-tournament run of five defeats in six games.
For that match, Twickenham’s top tier was kept shut due to sluggish ticket sales.
Manu Tuilagi scores England’s opening try against Fiji. Pic: AP
Borthwick identified reconnecting his side with supporters, who had grown tired of Eddie Jones’s approach, as one of his first major tasks when appointed.
Whatever the truth of the matter, one thing’s for certain – anyone wearing red and white will be thrilled if his team gains revenge for years of hurt and emerges victorious at the Stade de France.
A teenage girl who was killed after getting out of a police car on the M5 in Somerset has been named.
Tamzin Hall, 17 and from Wellington, was hit by a vehicle that was travelling southbound between junction 24 for Bridgwater and junction 25 for Taunton shortly after 11pm on Monday.
She had exited a police vehicle that had stopped on the northbound side of the motorway while transporting her.
A mandatory referral was made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, which is now carrying out its own investigation into what happened.
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Avon and Somerset Police said: “Our thoughts and sympathies go out to Tamzin’s family for their devastating loss.
“A specially-trained family liaison officer remains in contact with them to keep them updated and to provide support.
“The family have asked for privacy at this difficult time.”
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The police watchdog, the IOPC, has been asked to investigate.
In a statement, director David Ford, said: “This was a truly tragic incident and my thoughts are with Tamzin’s family and friends and everyone affected by the events of that evening.
“We are contacting her family to express our sympathies, explain our role, and set out how our investigation will progress. We will keep them fully updated as our investigation continues.”
Paramedics attended the motorway within minutes of the girl being hit but she was pronounced dead at the scene.
The motorway was closed in both directions while investigations took place. It was fully reopened shortly after 11am on Tuesday, Nationals Highways said.
A survivors group advocating for women allegedly assaulted by Mohamed al Fayed has said it is “grateful another abuser has been unmasked”, after allegations his brother Salah also participated in the abuse.
Justice for Harrods Survivors says it has “credible evidence” suggesting the sexual abuse allegedly perpetrated at Harrods and the billionaire’s properties “was not limited to Mr al Fayed himself”.
The group’s statement comes after three women told BBC News they were sexually assaulted by al Fayed’s brother, Salah.
One woman said she was raped by Mohamed al Fayed while working at Harrods.
Helen, who has waived her right to anonymity, said she then took a job working for his brother as an escape. She alleges she was drugged and sexually assaulted while working at Salah’s home on Park Lane, London.
Two other women have told the BBC they were taken to Monaco and the South of France, where Salah sexually abused them.
Mohamed al Fayed. Pic: AP
The Justice for Harrod Survivors representatives said: “We are proud to support the survivors of Salah Fayed’s abuse and are committed to achieving justice for them, no matter what it takes.”
The group added it “looks forward to the others on whom we have credible evidence – whether abusers themselves or enablers facilitating that abuse – being exposed in due course”.
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Salah was one of the three Fayed brothers who co-owned Harrods.
The business, which was sold to Qatar Holdings when Mohamed al Fayed retired in 2010, has said it “supports the bravery of these women in coming forward”.
A statement issued by the famous store on Thursday evening continued: “We encourage these survivors to come forward and make their claims to the Harrods scheme, where they can apply for compensation, as well as support from a counselling perspective and through an independent survivor advocate.
“We also hope that they are looking at every appropriate avenue to them in their pursuit of justice, whether that be Harrods, the police or the Fayed family and estate.”
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Bianca Gascoigne speaks about Al Fayed abuse
The Justice for Harrods Survivors group previously said more than 400 people had contacted them regarding accusations about Mohamed al Fayed, who died last year.
One of those alleged to have been abused is Bianca Gascoigne, the daughter of former England player Paul.
Speaking to Sky News in October, Gascoigne said she was groomed and sexually assaulted by al Fayed when she worked at Harrods as a teenager.
UK
Wes Streeting ‘crossed the line’ by opposing assisted dying in public, says Labour peer Harriet Harman
Wes Streeting “crossed the line” by opposing assisted dying in public and the argument shouldn’t “come down to resources”, a Labour peer has said.
Speaking on Sky News’ Electoral Dysfunction podcast, Baroness Harriet Harman criticised the health secretary for revealing how he is going to vote on the matter when it comes before parliament later this month.
MPs are being given a free vote, meaning they can side with their conscience and not party lines, so the government is supposed to be staying neutral.
But Mr Streeting has made clear he will vote against legalising assisted dying, citing concerns end-of-life care is not good enough for people to make an informed choice, and that some could feel pressured into the decision to save the NHS money.
He has also ordered a review into the potential costs of changing the law, warning it could come at the expense of other NHS services if implemented.
Baroness Harman said Mr Streeting has “crossed the line in two ways”.
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“He should not have said how he was going to vote, because that breaches neutrality and sends a signal,” she said.
“And secondly… he’s said the problem is that it will cost money to bring in an assisted dying measure, and therefore he will have to cut other services.
“But paradoxically, he also said it would be a slippery slope because people will be forced to bring about their own death in order to save the NHS money. Well, it can’t be doing both things.
“It can’t be both costing the NHS money and saving the NHS money.”
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Review into assisted dying costs
Baroness Harman said the argument “should not come down to resources” as it is a “huge moral issue” affecting “only a tiny number of people”.
She added that people should not mistake Mr Streeting for being “a kind of proxy for Keir Starmer”.
“The government is genuinely neutral and all of those backbenchers, they can vote whichever way they want,” she added.
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Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has previously expressed support for assisted dying, but it is not clear how he intends to vote on the issue or if he will make his decision public ahead of time.
The cabinet has varying views on the topic, with the likes of Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood siding with Mr Streeting in her opposition but Energy Secretary Ed Miliband being for it.
Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband is said to support the bill. Pic: Reuters
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has concerns. Pic: Reuters
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The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is being championed by Labour backbencher Kim Leadbeater, who wants to give people with six months left to live the choice to end their lives.
Under her proposals, two independent doctors must confirm a patient is eligible for assisted dying and a High Court judge must give their approval.
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Labour MP Kim Leadbeater discusses End of Life Bill
The bill will also include punishments of up to 14 years in prison for those who break the law, including coercing someone into ending their own life.
MPs will debate and vote on the legislation on 29 November, in what will be the first Commons vote on assisted dying since 2015, when the proposal was defeated.
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