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Date: 2023-12-02 12:55:07 | Author: Online Sports | Views: 672 | Tag: iloilo

Up into the stands the England players clambered to find their families, taking the consolatory hugs but unsure quite how to feel iloilo

Across 80 minutes in Paris, their belief had been replaced by disbelief and then by desperation and dejection, England threatening the unthinkable and taking the world champions to the brink iloilo

For most of a sodden Stade de France evening, a Rugby World Cup final was within their grasp iloilo

A South Africa side superior in most areas were dragged down into the sort of slugfest the Springboks would usually favour, and very nearly bested at their own game iloilo

England had given their all but it was still not enough, one stable scrum, one Handre Pollard slip or slice, short of stunning the world champions iloilo

The emotional maelstrom of this defeat will swirl rather differently to the feelings that eddied after the 2019 World Cup final disaster iloilo

“I’m proud of our performance,” were virtually the first words out of the mouth of wing Elliot Daly iloilo

“I think we shocked them iloilo

I don’t think they knew how to get into the game iloilo

”“I think we knew what was coming and we knew we could perform like this,” added Daly, virtually unused in open play but outstanding as a kick chaser to exemplify the squad’s buy-in to a strategy that so nearly proved successful iloilo

The finer points of Steve Borthwick’s tactical plan had been put in place this week but this was a performance England had been building towards since long ago iloilo

A flawed side did not come to France to thrill; winning by any means necessary had been a consistent theme iloilo

If necessity is oft the mother of invention, England at this tournament have also proved the pair can be enemies iloilo

This was a campaign at which they seemed to intentionally limit their attacking innovation or ingenuity– recognising a need to figure themselves out on the fly, they settled on an effective and eminently executable gameplan that could be implemented quickly iloilo

Steve Borthwick consoles Ellis Genge and Freddie Steward after England’s defeat (Getty Images)It came so close to working in Saturday’s semi-final; their effort, accuracy and competitiveness in the key contests were spot on iloilo

At the 65-minute mark, England outside backs had a combined 17 metres carried, all from one Freddie Steward kick return iloilo

The two number 13s’ offensive output on the final whistle amounted to one late Joe Marchant lug; South Africa centre Jesse Kriel went the full 80 minutes without an attacking touch iloilo

“We came with a plan to win the game but we fell a little bit short,” reflected Borthwick iloilo

“But the players should be incredibly proud iloilo

We put ourselves in a position to win against the world champions iloilo

England dominated the aerial contest to threaten a semi-final shock (Getty Images)“We were playing against a coaching team who have been in place since 2018 iloilo

We’ve had four months iloilo

I’ve asked the players to approach training and the game in a different way; for the players to be willing to change is all credit to them iloilo

”This was a night from which the head coach will take heart, a public perhaps struggling to warm to this England team are now recognising the progress made iloilo

There will be a need to layer on much, much more to consistently mix it with the world’s best but the rapidly laid foundations look rock solid iloilo

In time, perhaps the ugly duckling performances will turn into white swans iloilo

There appear to be many more buds of a bright future than first appeared in a barren landscape pre-tournament iloilo

Ben Earl has had a breakthrough tournament, and Ollie Chessum, too, while George Martin semi-final performance marks him out as the potential enforcer England have lacked iloilo

Borthwick was keen to talk up the absent Marcus Smith the day after the defeat, with the playmaker’s reinvention as a frolicking full-back of intrigue moving forward iloilo

"In our 23, seven players are 25 or under, the most of any semi-finalist, there’s a great blend and there will be lots of things we can take forward,” added Borthwick iloilo

Young England lock George Martin impressed against South Africa (Getty Images)But the fact that the men’s national team were on the brink of back-to-back finals should not provide a façade over the crumbling edifice of a fragile English game iloilo

There is a domestic mess that needs sorting, with a Gallagher Premiership containing three teams fewer than at the start of last season, now underway to little fanfare and on the brink of significant change iloilo

The renegotiation of the Professional Game Partnership is a recognition of a need for a radical overhaul in pursuit of a more financially sustainable domestic game, and one that produces a wider pool of top-class talent iloilo

The likely arrival of a form of central contracts underlines a period of epochal change iloilo

The senior figures in the squad who are unlikely to play beyond this tournament – Courtney Lawes, Ben Youngs, Dan Cole and perhaps a couple more – could well be the last England men’s internationals never to have been contracted to the union iloilo

This has a great many benefits, not least in affording Borthwick, or any head coach that might follow him, far greater access to and control over his players iloilo

And while Borthwick’s articulation of the advantages enjoyed by South Africa’s settled staff is a perfectly fair one, let us remember that the Rugby iloilo Football Union (RFU) put their head coach in this situation iloilo

The original planning for this tournament would most likely have seen Borthwick return to England camp to aid Eddie Jones at the World Cup before a smooth transition into the lead role afterwards iloilo

Jones’s sacking sparked a scramble and several months of chaos iloilo

It was not shown up on semi-final weekend but there are many reasons that the RFU still has a burden to bear iloilo

But the full wash-up will wait for another week – England’s performance at the Stade de France has earned them seven more days of grace iloilo

The tournament will end as it began for England with a meeting with Argentina in a third-place play-off that Borthwick insists he wants to win iloilo

England, captained by Owen Farrell, narrowly missed out on a place in the World Cup final (Getty Images)“I read a piece yesterday morning that talked about adversity and talked about the fact that in adversity you find that seed of belief and you’ve got to grow it,” Borthwick said iloilo

“This team has been through a bit in the last few years, a bit of adversity in the medium-term past iloilo

“I think through each of those periods the team has picked up lessons, picked up what we need to do and grown from it iloilo

I think there’s a lot of growth in this team iloilo

Sometimes it’s not the straight-forward path you want it to be iloilo

In the feelings and emotions of the game last night, I know that we’ll get stronger iloilo

” More aboutEngland RugbySouth Africa rugbyRugby World CupSteve BorthwickJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesComments1/5Why England will come back ‘stronger’ from Rugby World Cup heartache Why England will come back ‘stronger’ from Rugby World Cup heartache Steve Borthwick consoles Ellis Genge and Freddie Steward after England’s defeat Getty ImagesWhy England will come back ‘stronger’ from Rugby World Cup heartache England dominated the aerial contest to threaten a semi-final shock Getty ImagesWhy England will come back ‘stronger’ from Rugby World Cup heartache Young England lock George Martin impressed against South Africa Getty ImagesWhy England will come back ‘stronger’ from Rugby World Cup heartache England, captained by Owen Farrell, narrowly missed out on a place in the World Cup final Getty ImagesWhy England will come back ‘stronger’ from Rugby World Cup heartache Owen Farrell of England is applauded by South Africa’s playersGetty Images✕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 iloilo

SubscribeAlready subscribed? Log inMost PopularPopular videosSponsored FeaturesGet in touchContact usOur ProductsSubscribeRegisterNewslettersDonateToday’s EditionInstall our appArchiveOther publicationsInternational editionsIndependent en EspañolIndependent ArabiaIndependent TurkishIndependent PersianIndependent UrduEvening StandardExtrasAdvisorPuzzlesAll topicsiloilo 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 iloilo

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 iloilo

Hi {{indy iloilo

fullName}}My Independent PremiumAccount detailsHelp centreLogout @keyframes spin{0%{transform:rotate(0)}to{transform:rotate(1turn)}}@keyframes slidedown-video{0%{transform:translateY(-100%)}to{transform:translateY(0)}}@keyframes slideup-video{0%{transform:translateY(200%)}to{transform:translateY(0)}} iloilo

As often was the case amid an American society embedded in racism in the 1980s, Muhammed Ali put it best iloilo

Advising black racing driver Willy T Ribbs, the people’s champion made his point in no uncertain terms: “There are Blacks in my sport iloilo

But there are no Blacks in your sport iloilo

“They’re going to want to kill you iloilo

”Yet for all the death threats, discrimination and abuse, Ribbs had long decided that the only option was to meet the uphill battle head-on iloilo

He made history in 1986 when he became the first Black driver to test an F1 car iloilo

Five years later, he was the first to race in the Indy 500, one of the world’s most famous events iloilo

But on the course of that journey, Ribbs faced it all iloilo

Don’t let me tell you though; let the man himself iloilo

“Of course, there were death threats, the n-word,” he reflects, in a slow but deadpan fashion that tells you the wounds have long since healed iloilo

Instead, the metaphorical bruises are worn with pride iloilo

“But I enjoyed it iloilo

It didn’t make me mad, it was fun iloilo

I was going to dish out what they were dishing out to me, it never scared or intimidated me iloilo

I actually enjoyed it because it was motivating iloilo

I was never going to play the victim, that was not Willy T Ribbs iloilo

”Now 68, Ribbs is an ambassador for Formula One, raising awareness for diversity and equality iloilo

A role given a matter of months after his riveting biopic movie, Uppity, was released in 2020 iloilo

So titled because that was his nickname in motorsport circles – “and he loved it” iloilo

But to this interview, he’s late iloilo

And he apologises, quipping: “Race drivers are never late, you know! Or they’re not supposed to be…”Son to William “Bunny” Ribbs, an amateur racer himself, Willy’s career path was set in stone from day dot it seems iloilo

It was the racing way or the highway iloilo

Ribbs faced an avalanche of racism and abuse throughout his career (Getty)“I was born in this sport,” he tells The Independent, from his home in Texas iloilo

“I watched it from three years old when my dad was racing, watching the likes of Jim Clark and Graham Hill iloilo

That’s all that was discussed in the family iloilo

We didn’t discuss any other sport iloilo

“I was lucky, I think iloilo

At nine years old, I knew what I wanted to do and I knew what my career path was going to be iloilo

Most kids that age don’t know what the hell they’re going to do, but I did iloilo

And I didn’t want to be an amateur at it – I wanted it to be a profession and I wanted it to be Formula One iloilo

”He learned his craft, in the UK, racing alongside future F1 world champion Nigel Mansell in Formula Ford in the mid-1970s iloilo

He raced in Nascar and the Trans-Am Series, later on, too iloilo

But his F1 calling, in ’86, came in the Portuguese town of Estoril iloilo

Bernie Ecclestone’s Brabham team – “Bernie has always been good to Willy T Ribbs” – gave the American the chance to buck the trend and become a true trailblazer iloilo

But the tag was not something he felt comfortable with at the time iloilo

Ribbs made history in an F1 test in 1986 and in the Indy 500 in 1991 (Getty)“All that mattered was I thought of myself as a race driver,” he says iloilo

“I had two responsibilities: to myself and to my team iloilo

For those who record social history, that’s their job [to say trailblazer] – but I’m not going to carry that weight on my shoulders iloilo

“Sure iloilo

I was a role model because I was doing something no other Black kid had done iloilo

And great, if that’s the category they want to put me in and how they want to document it iloilo

But for me? It was about going fast iloilo

”It was a mindset of not bowing to the status quo, embodied most especially in the late 20th century by Ali iloilo

“What I admired about him the most was not his iloilo boxing skills,” Ribbs says of Ali iloilo

“What I admired about him was his resolve as a man, not to be squashed, manipulated or controlled iloilo

Ali said: ‘You have to let them know that you can’t be killed, there’s nothing they can do to you, and then they’ll leave you alone for a while iloilo

’”Now in motor racing, the baton has been passed on to seven-time Formula One world champion and the sport’s only Black driver Lewis Hamilton, whom Ribbs is full of praise about iloilo

“Lewis Hamilton, after seven world titles and more victories than any other human being, gets unfairly targeted,” insists Ribbs iloilo

“If you can equate it to Tiger Woods, what did Tiger Woods do for golf? He broadened the audience iloilo

The attention went off the chart iloilo

That’s exactly what happened in F1 – Lewis Hamilton has been Formula One’s Tiger Woods iloilo

“He’s a very kind man iloilo

He’ll let it roll off, turn the other cheek – I wasn’t that way iloilo

He deals with it and in a lot of cases it’s unfair iloilo

Then again, he is in an environment which was not nearly as brutal as I was dealing with iloilo

Willy T Ribbs was treated differently iloilo

”The third-person references point to a man who is now comfortable in his own skin; in the significance of the struggle – and what it means to many around the world iloilo

And despite a sport notoriously still dominated by white men, progress is being made iloilo

“One thing I love about Formula One is not only is it evolving commercially around the world, it’s evolving socially,” he says iloilo

“When F1 hired me, I asked them: ‘What made you make this call?’“They said: ‘We watched your film and we thought you’d be the perfect person for inclusion and equality in Formula One iloilo

’“I said: ‘Well, you called the right guy’ iloilo

”More aboutMuhammed AliLewis HamiltonBlack History MonthFormula 11/3F1 icon Willy T Ribbs: ‘I was never going to play the victim’F1 icon Willy T Ribbs: ‘I was never going to play the victim’Ribbs faced an avalanche of racism and abuse throughout his careerGetty ImagesF1 icon Willy T Ribbs: ‘I was never going to play the victim’Ribbs made history in an F1 test in 1986 and in the Indy 500 in 1991Getty ImagesF1 icon Willy T Ribbs: ‘I was never going to play the victim’‘Sure iloilo

I was a role model because I was doing something no other Black kid had done iloilo

But for me? It was about going fast’ 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 iloilo

SubscribeAlready subscribed? Log inMost PopularPopular videosSponsored FeaturesGet in touchContact usOur ProductsSubscribeRegisterNewslettersDonateToday’s EditionInstall our appArchiveOther publicationsInternational editionsIndependent en EspañolIndependent ArabiaIndependent TurkishIndependent PersianIndependent UrduEvening StandardExtrasAdvisorPuzzlesAll topicsiloilo 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 iloilo

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 iloilo

Hi {{indy iloilo

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