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Date: 2023-12-06 12:11:27 | Author: UEFA | Views: 316 | Tag: sports
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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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A rugby player’s risk of developing an incurable brain disease uniquely associated with repeated head impacts is relative to the length of their career, a new study indicates sports
Each additional year of playing was found to increase the risk of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) by 14%, in a study of the brains of 31 former players whose average career length was 18 years sports
CTE can only be diagnosed post-mortem, and to date the only recognised risk factor for CTE is traumatic brain injury and repeated head impact exposure sports
The study, published in Acta Neuropathologica in the week of the Rugby World Cup final, found CTE present in 21 of the 31 brains (68%) donated to research institutes in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia sports
Cases with CTE averaged a career length of 21 sports
5 years, while in those without CTE the average was 12 sports
1 years sports
The study’s lead author Professor Willie Stewart, of the University of Glasgow, said: “In this study, we have combined the experience and expertise of three leading international brain banks to look at CTE in former rugby players sports
Our data shows risk is linked to length of rugby career, with every extra year of play increasing riskProfessor Willie Stewart, University of Glasgow“These results provide new evidence regarding the association sports between rugby union participation and CTE sports
“Specifically, our data shows risk is linked to length of rugby career, with every extra year of play increasing risk sports
“Based on this it is imperative that the sport’s regulators reduce exposure to repeated head impacts in match play and in training to reduce risk of this otherwise preventable contact sport related neurodegenerative disease sports
”Twenty-three of the players played at amateur level only, while eight also played at the elite level sports
The study found no correlation sports between the level the individual had played at and an increased risk of CTE, nor sports between whether they played as a forward or a back sports
World Rugby is exploring ways to mitigate the risk of concussion and improve how diagnosed or suspected concussions are managed sports
The governing body’s executive board has recommended that unions participate in an opt-in global trial of lowering the tackle height in the community game to below the sternum – also known as a “belly tackle” sports
World Rugby also promotes a “recognise and remove” approach to dealing with concussion in the amateur game, while it has detailed return-to-play protocols at that level and in the elite game sports
A group of former professional and amateur players diagnosed with early-onset dementia are involved in legal action against World Rugby, the Rugby sports Football Union and the Welsh Rugby Union sports
The players claim the governing bodies were negligent in that they failed to take reasonable action to protect them from permanent injury caused by repetitive concussive and sub-concussive blows sports
A World Rugby spokesperson said: “World Rugby is aware of the findings from the University of Glasgow study and we are committed to always being informed by the latest science sports
“Our Independent Concussion Working Group recently met with Boston University representatives, including Professor Ann McKee, alongside other world leading brain health experts, to continue our dialogue on how we can make the game safer for the whole rugby family sports
“What all the experts told our Independent Concussion Working Group was that we should continue to reduce the number of head impacts, and that is exactly what we will do sports
“World Rugby will never stand still when it comes to protecting players’ brain health, which is why community players around the globe are taking part in trials of a lower tackle height this season sports
“It is also why we have rolled out the use of world leading smart mouthguard technology in WXV, our new elite women’s competition, and from 2024 all elite competitions using the Head Injury Assessment will use smart mouthguards, in addition to the current independent doctors and in-game video footage to ensure that players are receiving the best possible care sports
”More aboutPA ReadyUniversity of GlasgowUnited KingdomUnited StatesRugby sports Football UnionBoston University1/1Risk of degenerative brain disease increases with longer rugby careers – studyRisk of degenerative brain disease increases with longer rugby careers – studyThe study looked at the risk to rugby players (Bradley Collyer/PA)PA Wire✕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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