Ellis Genge believes England enter their World Cup semi-final against South Africa on Saturday with “everyone wanting us to lose”.

England head into the penultimate round as the tournament’s only unbeaten team and as standard bearers for northern hemisphere rugby following the exit of more heralded rivals Ireland, France and Scotland.

Facing them is one of the great Springbok sides, who are strong favourites to triumph in the rematch of the 2019 final, but Steve Borthwick’s men have grown accustomed to being written off.

Genge insists that, while some players will block out any negativity from outside the camp, he will be part of a group who use it as fuel.

“I think it’s probably half and half. I think it’s probably case by case,” the Bristol prop said.

“I quite like the noise and having our backs up against the wall, with everyone wanting us to lose. That probably fuels me a bit. Others are probably better off blocking it out.

“You don’t get any more style points in this. It’s about winning, that’s all we’re focused on. It’s boring I know, but that’s all that matters. Find a way. Whatever way, I’m happy with it.

“We have achieved nothing yet. We have got a semi-final, but you don’t win any medals so we need to knuckle down and do the hard work and what will be will be.”

England advanced to the last four with a gripping 30-24 victory over Fiji, the darlings of the World Cup who were being willed on by neutrals at the Stade Velodrome.

Veterans Courtney Lawes and Owen Farrell excelled against the Islanders, yet Genge believes they are the target of animosity – a point underlined when England’s captain Farrell drew boos from sections of the crowd as his name was read out on the PA system while the teams were warming up.

“You look around and we have people like Courtney and people with 300 caps across three players, which is mental, and some of the best players of their generation,” Genge said.

“Right now they are probably the villains because everyone hates on them. Owen, he gets a lot of grief, but you are happy to have him in the team every single time.”

Genge believes Farrell is “big enough to look after himself” in response to the booing, which was in marked contrast to the positive reception that greeted the names of Marcus Smith and George Ford.

Attack coach Richard Wigglesworth sees Farrell’s unpopularity in Marseille as the work of a noisy minority.

“I heard an incredible atmosphere inside the stadium, an amazing amount of support. The minority are always the loudest. They are who you hear,” Wigglesworth said.

“But the majority of people in the stadium, the majority of the people turning up are loving this team and supporting it. I thought they were incredible inside the stadium.”

Chicago Bears coach Matt Eberflus has confirmed Justin Fields dislocated his right thumb in Sunday's 19-13 loss to the Minnesota Vikings and is considered doubtful to play against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 7.

Fields' playing status all comes down to if he's able to grip the football, and rookie Tyson Bagent is expected to draw the start next Sunday.

The area around Fields' thumb on his throwing hand is still swollen, and ESPN's Adam Schefter reports he'll be sidelined until it diminishes.

Surgery is also a possibility, and the Bears should know by the end of the week if it's needed. There currently is no timetable for his return.

Fields was hurt on a third-down play with about 10 minutes to go in the third quarter when he was sacked by Vikings defensive end Danielle Hunter.

He appeared to land on his throwing hand, and was examined on the sideline before going to the locker room. 

The Bears initially listed him as questionable to return before declaring him out a few minutes later.

Fields has been inconsistent during his three years in the NFL and the Bears were hoping he would take a major step forward in 2023. He struggled in the season's first three games before turning in back-to-back impressive showings in Chicago's next two contests, throwing four touchdowns in each while passing for a combined 617 yards.

He was unable to build on those performances against Minnesota, however, going just 6 for 10 for 58 yards with an interception. He was also sacked four times.

Sunday's loss dropped Fields to 6-25 as a starter in the NFL, and the Bears must decide this offseason whether to exercise his fifth-year option for 2025.

If the thumb injury ends up forcing him to miss several weeks, it's possible Chicago may decide to move in a new direction at quarterback.

The Bears figure to evaluate the 23-year-old Bagent at the position as long as Fields is sidelined.

The undrafted rookie fumbled on the third play of his NFL career on Sunday with Minnesota's Jordan Hicks picking up the ball and returning it 42 yards for a touchdown.

He was later able to lead the Bears on a 77-yard touchdown drive to cut the Vikings' lead to six, but on Chicago's next possession he threw a costly interception with just over 2 minutes remaining.

He finished 10 of 14 for 83 yards with the one pick as the Bears dropped to 1-5. 

A day after Jimmy Garoppolo was taken to a hospital to be examined for internal injuries, coach Josh McDaniels said the Las Vegas Raiders received encouraging news on his injured back.

"It seems like we dodged a bullet in that regard, so that's good news," McDaniels said Monday. "We're still doing a couple of things this morning, and we'll make sure we do all the right things here as we go forward. But the prognosis is a lot better than it might otherwise have been."

Garoppolo exited Sunday's 21-17 win over the New England Patriots with a back injury and was taken by ambulance to be evaluated.

McDaniels said there's still more to "uncover," but it appears he avoided a serious injury.

The Raiders visit the Chicago Bears on Sunday, and McDaniels said the team is unsure if he'll be able to play.

Journeyman backup Brian Hoyer replaced Garoppolo on Sunday, and was 6 of 10 for 102 yards.

When Garoppolo missed Las Vegas' Week 4 game against the Los Angeles Chargers because of a concussion, rookie Aidan O'Connell got the start, completing 24-of-39 passes for 238 yards. However, he also threw an interception, lost two fumbles and was sacked seven times in a 24-17 loss.

Since that defeat, the Raiders have won two in a row to even their record at 3-3.

Five sports – cricket, squash, baseball/softball, lacrosse and flag football – will either be making their Olympic debut or returning to the programme at the Los Angeles 2028 Games.

The proposal was approved at the International Olympic Committee Session in Mumbai on Monday, with only two delegates voting against the new events.

Here, the PA news agency looks at all of the confirmed additions and picks out a few current British standouts in each.

Cricket

Cricket returns to the Games for the first time in 128 years in the form of six-team men’s and women’s T20 tournaments. It last featured as a men’s-only competition for the Paris Olympic Games in 1900, which means Great Britain’s men will somewhat be going into the competition as defending champions, while the sport’s inclusion is also hailed as a brilliant showcase for the exponentially-growing women’s game.

Leading lights: Sophie Ecclestone/Sam Curran

Squash

Squash, one of the sports debuting at LA 2028, has been overlooked by the IOC at the past three Games, and the squash community reacted with incredulity at being ignored in favour of breakdancing for Paris 2024. Monday’s announcement will be welcome news for Great Britain, with three English players currently within the men’s and women’s world top-10 rankings, boasting world and Commonwealth titles between them.

Leading Lights: Mohamed ElShorbagy/Georgina Kennedy

Baseball/Softball

Great Britain’s baseball and fastpitch softball teams have never been in a better position to qualify for an Olympic Games. Not only did the men’s baseball team qualify for and play in a maiden World Baseball Classic – a bit like the sport’s World Cup this year – they also won a game and did enough to qualify for the next edition, following that up with a third-ever European silver medal in September.

GB’s softball team were one win away from making the Tokyo 2020 Olympics – where the sports last featured – and are currently ranked 12th in the latest WBSC World Rankings. They beat a tough challenger in world number three Chinese Taipei earlier this year and, like their baseball counterparts, hold the European silver medal with promising talent in the pipeline.

Leading Lights: Harry Ford/Georgina Corrick

Lacrosse

Like cricket, lacrosse is preparing for its return to the Olympics for the first time in over a century, having last been included on the programme at St Louis 1904 and London 1908. Sixes, the format premiering in Los Angeles, has been described by World Lacrosse as a “fast-paced and compact” version of the game sometimes likened to The Hundred in cricket. Great Britain narrowly missed the podium at the 2022 World Games, placing fourth in both the men’s and women’s competitions, but could certainly be contenders in LA.

Leading lights: Tom Bracegirdle/Claire Faram

Flag Football

Flag football, a variant of American football, will also make its Olympic debut in just under five years’ time. Unlike the NFL, flag is a pacey non-contact sport where tackles are made by pulling flags off players’ hips. Great Britain’s women are ranked 20th in the world and are the reigning European champions, while the NFL this year launched its first girls’ flag league as part of ambitions to grow the game in the UK.

Leading lights: Brittany Botterill/Charlie Williams

The legacy of two Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winners lived on at Windsor on Monday when Doha broke her duck in impressive style at the third time of asking.

Trained by Ralph Beckett, the regally-bred filly is by the all-conquering Sea The Stars and out of dual ParisLongchamp heroine Treve but after an encouraging debut at Kempton last month, Doha was well held when sent off a 1-2 favourite at Leicester on her next start.

However, she showed all the qualities associated with her illustrious parents when again sent off favourite -this time at 2-1 –  for the At The Races App Expert Tips Maiden Stakes at Windsor, romping to an imperious nine-length success in the hands of Hector Crouch.

“She sort of disappointed on her second start and maybe we ran her back a bit quickly, but today was much more like it,” said Beckett of the three-year-old.

“I think she will probably step up again, this just looked like a very winnable opportunity.

“It was more about the opposition than race conditions today and she would probably go back to a mile and a quarter whatever we do. What we do, I’m not entirely sure yet.

“We’ll run her again this year before we make any decisions (about her future). We’ve done the most important part and now we will work out what we do next.”

Doha sports the Al Shaqab Racing colours Treve carried to her famous victories in the French capital and is just the second of her progeny to taste success on the racecourse.

Treve remains one of the most successful Al Shaqab-owned horses having won nine of her 13 starts – striking six times at the highest level while trained by Criquette Head-Maarek – and connections were delighted to see her gain another victory in her second career as a broodmare.

“It is fantastic to make her a winner bred like she is, and we are delighted, added Al Shaqab’s Alison Begley.

“She ran so well on her debut and nothing ever came to light why she ran like she did at Leicester, I think it was just inexperience.

“Hector said she was much more switched on today and she did it very nicely.”

She went on: “It means a lot for all the team to have one out of Treve win and it was great.

“She’s very much, and quite rightly, one of Sheikh Joaan’s favourites so it was great and fantastic.”

Connections are predicting emotional scenes at Ascot on Saturday if Kinross and Frankie Dettori are able to retain the Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes.

The Italian has struck up a fine relationship with Ralph Beckett’s six-year-old and their triumph 12 months ago was part of a Champions Day double for Dettori as well as bringing up a fabulous four-timer for the prolific son of Kingman.

Kinross has gone on to run as consistent as ever this term tasting notable success at both Goodwood and York during the summer before just falling short in defence of his Prix de la Foret title at ParisLongchamp earlier this month.

Now the Marc Chan-owned gelding will bid to regain the winning thread and provide his loyal pilot with one-last big-race success together on British soil before he makes the switch to ride in America.

“He’s in flying form, great form,” said Jamie McCalmont, racing manager for Chan.

“We’re very excited about Saturday’s race. It’s probably as good a chance as Frankie has on Saturday and without being big-headed maybe his best shot. That in itself gives you butterflies in the stomach.

“Marc and his wife Lily are going to be over here and it’s very exciting all round.

“We could definitely be looking for the Kleenex on Saturday, it could be an emotional week for sure.”

Also headed for Ascot on Saturday is Kinross’ stablemate Angel Bleu who has been supplemented for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at a cost of £70,000.

A winner of Goodwood’s Celebration Mile when last seen, it will be the four-year-old’s final outing before commencing stallion duties in France.

He will stand at Nurlan Bizakov’s Sumbe operation and the Kazakhstan-born businessman joins Chan as joint-owner for Angel Bleu’s racecourse farewell.

“It will be Angel Bleu’s last race before he takes up stud duties at Sumbe in France,” continued McCalmont.

“The ground is coming up well and he’s in good shape, so he has nothing to lose really.

“This is his last race and then he will go off and have a luxurious lifestyle hopefully. I think by going to stand in France gives him a great opportunity.

“French breeding is in a purple patch now on the back of Wootton Bassett and Siyouni and with his two Group One wins being in France, being bred in France and sold as a yearling in France, we’re very excited he has this opportunity to stand there.”

Roger Varian is confident King Of Steel is at the top of his game ahead of his bid to provide Frankie Dettori with what could be a farewell winner in Britain in Saturday’s Qipco Champion Stakes at Ascot.

Narrowly denied Derby glory by Auguste Rodin at Epsom, the Wootton Bassett colt enjoyed his day in the sun when dominating the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot before running well in defeat in both the King George and the Irish Champion Stakes.

With owners Amo Racing no longer retaining Kevin Stott, Dettori has been called up for what is scheduled to be the Italian’s final mount in Europe on British Champions Day – and Varian believes his star three-year-old is in prime condition as he looks to give his rider the perfect send-off on UK soil.

“Regardless of whether Frankie is signing off or not, I think he’ll suit the horse, and I think the race will suit him too,” said the trainer.

“He (Dettori) came and rode him and he was happy with him. It won’t be an easy race, but both horse and jockey go there in good form. I wouldn’t swap him.

“He’s been training great and he looks terrific. They tell you when they are right, and he’s telling us right now.

“The Breeders’ Cup isn’t completely off the table, but the Champion Stakes at Ascot comes first of course and that’s where our focus lies.”

King Of Steel is one of 11 horses in contention for the Champion Stakes following the confirmation stage, with Horizon Dore, Mostahdaf and last year’s winner Bay Bridge other major players.

Cirrus Des Aigles (2011), Almanzor (2016) and Sealiway (2021) are among the recent French-trained winners of the Champions Day highlight – and having extended his winning streak to four in the Prix Dollar, Patrice Cottier’s Horizon Dore bids to add his name to the roll of honour.

Mostahdaf demonstrated his top-level capabilities by winning the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Juddmonte International at York during the summer, but connections will be concerned about the prospect of significant rain later in the week for a horse who prefers fast ground.

John Gosden, who trains Mostahdaf in partnership with his son Thady, warned late last week: “Mostahdaf has won on soft, but we’ll have to see what the weather brings through the week. He ran in bottomless ground in the Arc last year and hated it, but if you get him on better ground he’s got a great turn of foot.”

The Clarehaven team have also confirmed Nashwa, although she also has the option of running in the preceding Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.

Gosden added: “Nashwa ran a huge race when third in the Irish Champion Stakes, where she was flying at the finish. She’s in great order, but a decision probably won’t be made about which race she runs in until later in the week, probably Wednesday as I don’t like leaving it until Thursday morning.”

Bay Bridge will step back in distance after finishing sixth in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, while William Haggas has left in both last year’s third My Prospero and the globetrotting Dubai Honour.

Via Sistina (George Boughey), Royal Rhyme (Karl Burke) and Aidan O’Brien’s pair of Point Lonsdale and Paddington are the other acceptors, although the latter is widely expected to line up in the preceding QEII over a mile.

Paddington has been one of the stars of the season for Ballydoyle, winning the Irish 2,000 Guineas, the St James’s Palace Stakes, the Coral-Eclipse and the Sussex Stakes before meeting with defeat for the first time this year when third behind Mostahdaf on the Knavesmire in August.

Among 13 possible rivals this weekend are Dermot Weld’s Irish Guineas, Coronation Stakes and Matron Stakes heroine Tahiyra, Nashwa, her stablemate Inspiral, 2000 Guineas winner Chaldean and the supplemented Angel Bleu.

The afternoon gets under way with the Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup, which is set to stage a mouthwatering clash between Trueshan and Kyprios.

Alan King’s Trueshan has bounced back from an underwhelming start to his campaign by winning the Doncaster Cup and the Prix du Cadran in the autumn and he now gets the opportunity to land this Group Two prize for the fourth year in succession.

Kyprios won the Gold Cup, the Goodwood Cup and the Irish St Leger in 2022 before registering a remarkable 20-length verdict in the Cadran. He was beaten on his return from nearly a year on the sidelines in the Irish Leger last month, but can be expected to take a significant step forward.

Coltrane is also among 10 hopefuls, but Gold Cup hero Courage Mon Ami is a notable absentee.

Kinross (Ralph Beckett) and Shaquille (Julie Camacho) are two of 18 speedsters to stand their ground for the Qipco British Champions Sprint.

There are also 18 horses in contention for the Qipco British Champions Fillies And Mares Stakes including Free Wind (Gosdens), Time Lock (Harry and Roger Charlton), Sea Silk Road (Haggas) and the doubly engaged Via Sistina. Henry de Bromhead has supplemented Group Three winner Term Of Endearment.

The Balmoral Handicap is the concluding race and Lincoln winner Migration, trained by David Menuisier, is at the head of the weights after 32 horses were confirmed.

Cricket’s inclusion in the 2028 Olympic Games programme can help it to reach new parts of the world, England and Wales Cricket Board chief executive Richard Gould has said.

The sport was one of five whose inclusion on the programme for the Los Angeles Games was rubber-stamped at the International Olympic Committee’s 141st Session in Mumbai on Monday.

It has featured only once before – in Paris in 1900 – but will return with six-team men’s and women’s competitions playing in a 20-over format.

Lacrosse sixes, squash, flag football – a non-contact variant of American football – and baseball/softball are the other sports which will feature in five years’ time.

“It’s fantastic that cricket will be included in the Olympics in 2028, putting it on one of the world’s biggest sporting stages,” ECB chief Gould said.

“This is a great opportunity to take cricket to new parts of the world, and to allow more people to develop a love for our sport.

“In particular I’m delighted that the Games will feature both men’s and women’s cricket, and have no doubt that featuring in the Olympics will accelerate the continuing and rapid growth of the women’s game.”

Greg Barclay, the chairman of the International Cricket Council, welcomed the decision and said: “The fact that the IOC confirmation of our selection occurred here in Mumbai, during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, is truly the icing on the cake.

“The innings have just begun, and we can’t wait to see where this incredible journey leads.”

Squash will make its Olympic debut in LA, having suffered multiple rejections in the past.

“Squash is an amazingly dynamic, diverse and demanding sport that is perfectly suited for the Olympic Games,” World Squash Federation president Zena Wooldridge said.

“Everyone involved in our sport is elated to be LA28 bound and we look forward to being part of an unparalleled Olympic Games experience.”

Phil Collier, the head coach of Great Britain’s lacrosse sixes team, described the sport’s inclusion as “great news”, adding: “The global spread of lacrosse in recent years has come alongside a rise in standards of play, and a speeding up of the game. At the top international level, sixes lacrosse showcases the best of that. Great athleticism alongside incredible and innovative stick skills.

“What’s really exciting is knowing that right now, there are young players in schools, clubs and universities across the UK that can start to chase their own Olympic dreams, motivated to work hard to be the best lacrosse player they can be and to represent Great Britain at the Olympic Games.”

The International Federation of American Football (IFAF) hailed flag football’s inclusion at LA.

Diana Flores, the chair of the IFAF athletes committee, said: “To compete in the Olympic Games is the ultimate dream of every athlete, and millions of flag football players around the world will go to sleep dreaming of Los Angeles 2028 tonight.

“I want to thank everyone who has made this possible – including all my fellow athletes and ambassadors who have played such a central role in driving the project forward.

“Together, we are determined to use this incredible stage to showcase the best of flag football – its speed, athleticism and creativity, and also its power to transform lives and include new communities in sports.”

There remains a question mark over whether boxing will be part of the programme alongside these new sports.

The Session endorsed a recommendation from the IOC executive board to put on hold a decision over its inclusion, following the withdrawal of recognition for the International Boxing Association.

Gina Kennedy’s career ambitions have been changed almost overnight after the “game-changing” announcement that squash will finally make its Olympics debut at the 2028 Games.

Squash has been overlooked by the International Olympic Committee at the past three Games, while the sport’s community reacted with incredulity at being ignored in favour of breakdancing for Paris 2024.

But the IOC on Monday green-lit the proposal for squash – alongside cricket, lacrosse, flag football and baseball/softball – to be included on the Olympic schedule at Los Angeles in five years’ time.

Kennedy, the top-ranked British female player in the world, had long ago given up hope this day would come but now that it has, the 26-year-old’s aspirations have been given a welcome shake-up.

She told the PA news agency: “It’s absolutely incredible. When there were rumours flying around last week, it honestly took me by surprise, I had absolutely no idea squash was even being considered.

“I didn’t want to get my hopes up having been in that position before. To wake up today and see that it’s confirmed is a dream come true. I still can’t really believe it because it came out of nowhere.

“I can’t wipe the smile off my face, it’s the best surprise I could have asked for. It’s just such an exciting time, this could be game-changing for us in terms of exposure and everything.

“All my goals are going to completely change now because the Olympics in five years’ time is going to be the number one goal. I’m going to do what I can to keep my body in the best shape.”

Kennedy, who won gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and achieved a career-high of sixth in the world rankings last month, believes hers is a sport that has been on the up in recent years.

But she recognises how much of a boost being included on the Olympic programme will be.

She said: “A lot of squash players have been a bit perplexed as to why it’s not been involved (in the past); it’s perfect for the Olympics, it’s a niche sport, it’s a sport people play across the world.

“We’ve definitely felt hard done by in the past, losing out to a few different sports. Maybe the issue has been with the televising of it, it can be a bit difficult, plus if you don’t play squash then the rules can be quite difficult to understand.

“But it has come on leaps and bounds in the past few years and it’s becoming a great sport for TV. Hopefully now more people will be excited to learn about the rules and everything.

“It’s absolutely going to be the pinnacle of our sport. It’s going to be the biggest opportunity we have to expose the sport to the mainstream.”

Kennedy was brought back down to earth from her Commonwealth triumph at Birmingham 14 months ago – where she became the first Englishwoman to win a singles gold medal in her sport – as a torn hamstring in her first event back was followed by a flare-up of her ulcerative colitis condition.

The inflammatory bowel disease – which affects around one in 200 people in the UK – led to Kennedy being hospitalised and bed bound for months, but she has flourished this year.

She added: “It was a massive learning curve for me because the emotions after such a big win like that was quite difficult to explain and I didn’t give my body adequate time to rest.

“I went straight back into tournament mode and my body just completely shut down on me for months. It was difficult, but now I’ve managed to get it under control.”

Defeat to Afghanistan left England’s World Cup defence hanging by a thread – and tournament history shows the scale of the task now facing them.

Having also lost to New Zealand, with a win over Bangladesh sandwiched in between, Jos Buttler’s side have lost two of their first three games.

Here, the PA news agency looks at the other teams to start so slowly and how they fared.

Weight of history

England’s task is immediately put into perspective by the fact that only seven teams have even made it out of their group after losing two of their first three games.

The earliest tournaments had a far smaller group stage than this year’s five-week, 45-match marathon but Pakistan first managed the feat in 1983 – losing to New Zealand and England after their opening win over Sri Lanka, but then winning two of their remaining three games to edge out the Black Caps on run rate.

Only two of the seven teams in question have gone on to make it through a further stage. Australia’s 1999 tournament win marks the best-case scenario for England, while the West Indies won a quarter-final against South Africa in 1996 before losing narrowly to Australia in the semis.

South Africa, in 1992, matched Pakistan’s 1983 effort by losing in the semi-finals, which in both cases was the first stage after the group.

India joined Australia in qualifying after a slow start in 1999 but fell in the Super Six, as did Zimbabwe in 2003, while Pakistan lost in the 2015 quarter-finals.

Slow-starting champions

While Australia did win that 1999 tournament after early defeat to New Zealand and Pakistan, it required them to be near-perfect the rest of the way.

They beat India by 77 runs, Zimbabwe by 44 and South Africa by five wickets in the Super Six stage before surviving a wild finish to their semi-final against the Proteas, which was tied after Allan Donald was farcically run out off the last ball – meaning Australia progressed by virtue of finishing higher in the Super Six.

Shane Warne’s four wickets and Adam Gilchrist’s rapid half-century then earned them a comfortable win over Pakistan in the final.

The one other precedent to provide encouragement to England comes from Pakistan’s “cornered tigers” who won the 1992 tournament.

Captain Imran Khan’s famous description ahead of the final reflected a tournament that had seen his side recover from a dismal start – while they did not meet the threshold of two losses in the first three games, they had three defeats and a no-result in their first five.

They recovered by beating Australia, Sri Lanka and New Zealand to qualify in fourth place from the round robin, before winning a semi-final rematch with the Kiwis thanks to Inzamam-ul-Haq’s 60 from 37 balls and the final against England in which Khan hit 72.

Rassie Erasmus insists South Africa will not be lulled into complacency by the negativity surrounding the ability of World Cup semi-final opponents England.

The reigning champions are red-hot favourites to win Saturday’s Paris showdown with Steve Borthwick’s side to keep their title defence on track.

England came into the tournament in dismal form and with plenty of fans and pundits predicting a pool-stage exit.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Rugby World Cup (@rugbyworldcup)

Yet Borthwick’s men are the only unbeaten side still standing and the northern hemisphere’s sole representative in the last four.

While England’s relatively smooth progress has been aided by a favourable route, Springboks director of rugby Erasmus is braced for a “very tough test” and highlighted the similar statistics of the two nations to emphasise his point.

“If we think England is bad because people from outside say that they are not doing well… our reality is the truth, not the reality that people create outside our camp,” he told a media briefing on Monday.

“We know from the Premiership, a lot of our players play against them, and we know Borthwick is an excellent coach which he showed at Leicester and as a captain and a player for England.

“It will be a very tough test against a team that hasn’t lost a game and more or less conceded the same amount of tries and racked up the same amount of points (as us).

“If you look at England, they scored 19 tries and got 180 points and we scored 26 tries and also have 180 points.

“Then if you look on the points conceded side, they’ve conceded six tries, we’ve conceded seven and they’ve conceded 63 points and we’re 62.

“So, you can know how close this game (will be) if you just look at stats – and I know stats don’t always tell the whole picture.”

Three-time winners South Africa set up a rematch of the 2019 final, which they won 32-12, by extinguishing the dream of hosts France.

The Springboks edged an epic Stade de France encounter 29-28 on Sunday evening to replace eliminated group phase rivals Ireland at the top of the world rankings.

“It was two teams that tactically, physically and mentally tried to really push one another to the edge,” Erasmus said of the clash with Fabien Galthie’s men.

“(It was) a relief to beat a team that is so well coached, which afterwards I had a beer with, and I must say the respect that he (Galthie) showed and the way he spoke to us afterwards was really humble and sincere.”

Shuwari will be pointed towards the Qipco 1000 Guineas, with Ollie Sangster delighted to have unearthed a Classic contender in his first season in the training ranks.

The daughter of New Bay has been the standout performer of Sangster’s Manton-based string during the early stages of his career and capped a fine juvenile campaign by finishing second to Aidan O’Brien’s Ylang Ylang in the Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket.

Shuwari fell victim to the winner’s superior stamina in the closing stages of that Group One event but Sangster was more than happy to come so close to registering a first top-table success as attentions turn to next season.

Sangster said: “It was great and we were delighted. If you could have told me at the start of the season that I would have a horse contesting a Group One, let alone finishing second, I would have been thrilled.

“Obviously, we all want to win and to come so close was tough, but she ran fantastically and gives us a lot to look forward to next year.

“I see us being a miler and I suspect the winner will probably end up getting a bit further. I think in the last 50 yards, Shuwari just got outstayed really.

“You dream to have a horse like this any year, so for one to come along now is just great.”

Another trip to Newmarket for the 1000 Guineas is now firmly on the radar and having had the honour of being the young handler’s first runner in a Group One, she could be his first in one of racing’s crown jewel events when she returns next spring.

However, her route back to the Rowley Mile is still to be finalised, with Newbury’s Fred Darling looking the most likely destination if an early-season tune-up is required.

Sangster added: “Touch wood she can stay healthy through the winter and the spring and hopefully that (the 1000 Guineas) will be on our agenda.

“She’s not a filly I feel I would need to (run before) and she’s kind of straightforward to train, but if I did, I suspect I would probably go for the Fred Darling.

“Newbury is our local track and she also has the course experience already, so I wouldn’t feel the need to go back to Newmarket probably. But equally she could easily go straight there.”

Sangster is also retaining plenty of faith in Per Contra, who after two eye-catching victories in minor events, finished fifth when upped in class for the Autumn Stakes.

“I thought he ran a nice enough race,” continued the trainer.

“Obviously, it was a big step up in class and completely different tempo to what he has had before. In reality, it was sort of his first proper race and his first two races have been fairly non-events where he has won them straightforward.

“He will have learned a lot and I kind of wish he had just got into the race a bit earlier. James (Doyle, jockey) kind of had the revs up the whole way. He made a nice mid-race move and then he just got tired.

“If he had got a tow into the race, he may have finished a bit closer, but in reality, he ran a nice race and hopefully he will have learned a lot for next season.

“He’s a big horse and a horse for next year. I suspect a mile will be his minimum – a mile, mile and a quarter. He’s a big horse and should do very well from two to three over the winter.”

England’s World Cup title defence is already on rocky ground after a shock at the hands of Afghanistan left them with two defeats from their first three matches in India.

Here, the PA news agency assesses some of the key issues underpinning their early struggles at the tournament.

A step too far?

The epic drama of 2019’s Lord’s final was the crowning achievement of England’s golden generation in white-ball cricket, so it is hardly surprising so many of that squad are back for another bite of the cherry.

But with eight thirty-something survivors from the squad four years ago, there is a growing feeling that too many of the team are past their peak. How many of the world champion team can truly claim to be better than they were last time around? How many have half an eye on retiring from 50-over cricket sooner rather than later?

The bar has been fiendishly high to break into this set-up for years, but head coach Matthew Mott may reflect that a greater injection of fresh blood would have helped.

Hip, hip but no hooray for Stokes

It is hard to overstate Ben Stokes’ value to English cricket over the past decade. He carried the side home in the 2019 final, performed a similar trick to land the T20 crown last year and has reinvented the Test team as captain through sheer force of will.

When he decided to reverse his ODI retirement for one more tilt at the 50-over trophy, it looked like England had rediscovered the ace in their pack.

But the red flags over his fitness have been there for at least two years and it was hardly a jaw-dropping surprise when he picked up a hip complaint on the eve of the tournament. His skill and scrapping qualities have been sorely missed and the team are already at make-or-break point before he has even taken the field.

Eyes off the prize

England are not alone in struggling to grapple with the complexities of the global calendar, but it is hard to avoid the conclusion that they arrived in India undercooked as a one-day unit. Having played 88 ODIs in the 2015-19 cycle, they dropped to 42 in the run-up to this edition. That may have been symptomatic of a wider trend but the sidelining of the domestic Metro Bank Cup, now seen as a development competition alongside the glitz of The Hundred, was all about priorities.

England have also pivoted their focus to Test cricket once again, which had not always been the case in Eoin Morgan’s era. That meant key players like Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Mark Wood and Stokes were occasional visitors to the one-day set-up rather than mainstays.

Alternatives were capped but rarely empowered, while Jason Roy played more times than anyone else from tournament to tournament only to miss out on the final squad.

Stepping back from attack

There was a story during the lead in to the last World Cup that new scorecards were printed to account for the possibility of a side, most likely England, scoring 500 in an innings. The print shops of India are making no such considerations now.

Whether it is pitches, balls or bowlers evolving, it feels an more even game these days but England have been left on the back foot in both of their losses so far.

For a side whose 2019 World Cup success was owed to a boundary countback, they are beginning to look surprisingly shot shy. New Zealand hit nine more fours and two more sixes in Ahmedabad and unfancied Afghanistan cleared the ropes eight times to England’s one in Delhi.

While ‘Bazball’ has re-energised the red-ball side, Mott must make sure things do not go in the opposite direction under his watch.