Reigning champions South Africa take on fellow three-time winners New Zealand in Saturday’s Rugby World Cup final.

Here, the PA news agency picks a team from the best performing players in the tournament.

15. Beauden Barrett (New Zealand): Two-time world player of the year set the standard for a playmaking full-back.

14. Damian Penaud (France): Daredevil wing who topped the try-scoring chart until Will Jordan ran amok against Argentina.

13. Waisea Nayacalevu (Fiji): The Islanders’ skipper stood out in a backline full of lethal runners.

12. Bundee Aki (Ireland): A player of the tournament candidate through his powerful running, clever lines and slick footwork.

11. Will Jordan (New Zealand): Ruthless finisher who is in the company of greats such as Jonah Lomu after amassing eight tries.

10. Richie Mo’unga (New Zealand): The game’s most complete fly-half with the creativity to match his game management.

9. Aaron Smith (New Zealand): One of the World Cup’s smallest players is also among its smartest.

1. Ox Nche (South Africa): The Springboks’ strongest scrummager may be on the bench but what an impact he makes.

2. Mike Tadjer (Portugal): A front row all-rounder who was especially influential in the shock victory over Fiji.

3. Ben Tameifuna (Tonga): Monster tighthead prop weighing in at 23st 11lbs yet has the carrying prowess to match his scrummaging.

4. Eben Etzebeth (South Africa): A snarling enforcer and still the game’s dominant second row despite an off-night against England.

5. Tadhg Beirne (Ireland): Ever-present for Ireland who provided fight whether playing at lock or in the second-row.

6. Courtney Lawes (England): A back-row warrior with a sharp rugby brain excelled in the biggest games.

7. Jac Morgan (Wales): Blockbusting flanker who showed maturity beyond his years to lead Wales into the quarter-finals.

8. Ardie Savea (New Zealand): Pushed very close by England’s Ben Earl but Savea is a class apart.

England went within a whisker of qualifying for a second successive World Cup final only for South Africa’s Handre Pollard to shatter their dreams with a 79th-minute penalty.

The nail-biting 16-15 semi-final defeat which Steve Borthwick’s men led by nine points with 10 minutes remaining completed a tournament that surpassed expectations given their abysmal build-up.

Here, the PA news agency takes a closer look at a campaign concluded by the bronze final on Friday night.

Results

Until they hit a Springbok-shaped roadblock, England were the only semi-final side with an unbeaten record. Overwhelming Argentina in the opener despite having Tom Curry sent off in the third minute was the highlight of a group campaign that produced a close shave against Samoa until Danny Care intervened with a try and try-saving tackle rescue act. Dangerous Fiji were formidable quarter-final opponents but Owen Farrell and Ben Earl excelled to see off the Islanders, setting up the showdown with South Africa. England fell to a heroic defeat by the world champions after the tide turned against them in the final quarter, undone by the power of the ‘Bomb Squad’. Overall their results were good, but they come with the caveat of being secured in the weakest pool and on the easier half of the draw.

Selection

Borthwick showed an assured touch in selection, culminating in some inspired picks for the semi-final. Hardman rookie George Martin started at lock and delivered a coming-of-age performance while the inclusion of veteran props Dan Cole and Joe Marler was a masterstroke against the hard-scrummaging Springboks. England’s undoing was that Ellis Genge and Kyle Sinckler were not the front rows to face down the Bomb Squad, but they were the best support available to Borthwick. Owen Farrell ultimately won his fly-half duel with George Ford and provided compelling confirmation of his Test credentials, while the experiment of playing fly-half Marcus Smith at full-back was audacious and to the credit of the management, even if it was never a viable option against South Africa. Ford and Farrell were paired together against Samoa, reviving their old creative partnership, but it was abandoned by Borthwick when the evidence indicated it no longer worked.

Star performers

Take a bow Ben Earl, the Saracens flanker who emerged as England’s best performer despite playing at number eight and having never started a Test until August. His explosive carrying and instinct for attack beg the question why was he repeatedly overlooked during the Eddie Jones era? Smith was mesmerising at full-back, Joe Marchant’s flair will be missed when he joins Stade Francais, thus making him unavailable for selection, and Maro Itoje showed that his health-related dip in form is over. Several players see their England odysseys end with the World Cup, among them the magnificent Courtney Lawes, a back row colossus who consistently stepped up on the biggest stage, and there have been important contributions from other stalwarts – Dan Cole and Danny Care among them.

Future

By going out on their shields at the World Cup, Borthwick should have bought some time as he begins to shape his vision for Australia 2027, but it could get worse before it gets better. Choppy waters lie ahead as the retirement of stalwarts such as Lawes and Ben Youngs, the need to refresh the team and the lack of depth in certain positions – especially hooker where Jamie George has been forced to carry a huge burden alone – present challenges that begin with the 2024 Six Nations. But Borthwick is the right man to lead England forward and the only regret over his appointment in place of Eddie Jones was that it did not happen earlier than December.

The 10th edition of the World Cup was also its longest, producing highs and lows across its eight weeks.

Here the PA news agency examines five talking points arising from the tournament hosted by France.

Box office rugby

At its best, France 2023 has produced some of the greatest rugby ever played. The quarter-finals were the most captivating in the competition’s history with Ireland’s match against New Zealand and France’s clash with South Africa thunderous collisions that lifted the game to a new level. At the other end of the spectrum, Portugal flew the flag for emerging nations after producing a breakthrough World Cup the like of which has not been seen before, culminating in a seismic upset of Fiji.

The injustice of the draw

For all the fireworks seen on the pitch, the draw divided the World Cup into two distinct halves – the heavyweights and outsiders. When the hosts and Ireland made quarter-final exits in nailbiters, much of the magic was drained from the event and the sight of New Zealand routing Argentina in the semi-finals was an eyesore for the game. World Rugby hopes that by making the next draw closer to the tournament in January 2026, the lopsided groups present in France will be avoided. And crucially, one week is to be taken off a World Cup that was too long for all concerned.

Break the World Cup cycle

England’s success in reaching the semi-finals despite their abysmal build-up and world ranking of eighth, as well as missing out on a place in the final purely because of a last-gasp Handre Pollard penalty, underlines the folly of the ‘World Cup cycle’. While the Webb Ellis Trophy remains rugby’s ultimate prize, it should not be pursued at the cost of success in Six Nations, summer tours and autumn campaigns. Eddie Jones’ over-riding focus was the World Cup at the cost of the here and now and England suffered as a result. As the unexpected progress made by Steve Borthwick’s side illustrates, take care of the present and let the World Cup look after itself.

Level the playing field

Samoa do not have a match scheduled for 2024 – an unacceptable situation for a side whose sluggish start to the World Cup was a reflection of their lack of time together. By the end of their group campaign they had gone within a whisker of beating England, hinting at the potential if only given the resources and exposure to regular Tests. For Samoa, read a host of emerging nations who need more meaningful fixtures if the Webb Ellis Trophy is to be a prize available to those outside the heavyweights. World Rugby is hoping that through the creation of the bi-annual, two-tier Nations Cup, as well as more crossover fixtures, that the playing field can be levelled.

Fan bonanza

The World Cup has unfolded in front of large crowds and raucous atmospheres, with the noise and colour brought by supporters following Argentina, Chile and Portugal warranting a special mention. And it is to the credit of France fans that they have stayed with the tournament despite the hosts’ quarter-final exit. Early teething problems included slow entry into grounds, resulting in a crush outside Marseille’s Stade Velodrome on the opening weekend, beer running out and transport issues, but they were eventually ironed out.

Ireland’s Rugby World Cup adventure ended in a familiar quarter-final exit.

Andy Farrell’s men went into the tournament at the top of the global rankings but were unable to break new ground by winning a knockout match.

Here, the PA news agency takes a closer look at Ireland’s campaign.

Results

Ireland’s campaign was launched with routine wins from their more straightforward fixtures. They began with a bang by registering the nation’s record World Cup victory – an 82-8 thrashing of minnows Romania in Bordeaux – and backed it up with another bonus-point success, 59-16 against Tonga in Nantes. Mack Hansen’s try helped secure a statement 13-8 triumph over South Africa to give the Six Nations champions control of Pool B. Farrell’s side then returned to Paris to emphatically survive an elimination shoot-out with Scotland, prevailing 36-14. But Ireland’s remarkable 17-match winning run was cruelly halted a week later by an agonising 28-24 Stade de France loss to New Zealand as their quarter-final curse continued.

Selection

Farrell was extremely consistent with his team selections, making minimal changes and going virtually full strength in each fixture. The head coach had the luxury of limited injury issues among his first-choice starters during the tournament, albeit hooker Dan Sheehan and back-rower Jack Conan came into it recovering from foot issues, while lock James Ryan was absent for the quarter-final against the All Blacks. Whether the lack of rotation ultimately harmed Ireland’s chances is debatable. Captain Johnny Sexton, who arrived in France having not played for almost six months due to injury and suspension, was among 10 players to begin every game. More than a third of squad members – 12 – did not start a single match.

Star performers

Colossal centre Bundee Aki was in the form of his life. The outstanding 33-year-old played every minute, scoring five tries in as many appearances, including one against his native New Zealand. He picked up two man-of-the-match awards and was among the tournament’s top performers. Lock Tadhg Beirne was not far behind in terms of eye-catching displays, while consistent pair Garry Ringrose and Hugo Keenan also excelled. Veteran fly-half Sexton was in record-breaking form, surpassing Ronan O’Gara as Ireland’s leading points scorer, before his stellar career ended in heartbreaking fashion. Sheehan shone when available, as did wing Hansen.

Future

Farrell’s current contract runs until 2025 and many of his dejected players spoke of elimination marking the end of an era. Test centurions Sexton and Keith Earls are heading into retirement. Plenty of others will not be around for the 2027 tournament in Australia as 17 of the 33-man squad were aged 30 or above. Yet there is plenty of reason for optimism. Leinster lock Joe McCarthy and Munster fly-half Jack Crowley form part of the exciting new generation, while established stars Sheehan, Caelan Doris and Keenan can kick on. Furthermore, Ireland’s pathway programme is impressive. Their under-20 side are back-to-back Six Nations Grand Slam champions, having also achieved the feat in 2019.

Scotland suffered a group-stage exit at the Rugby World Cup after falling victim to a formidable pool featuring the two teams that began the tournament as the highest-ranked in the world.

It represented a disappointing outcome for a side that arrived in France ranked fifth in the world and billed as “without doubt the best ever Scotland team to take the field” by highly-regarded former international John Jeffrey.

Here, the PA news agency looks back on a campaign in which Gregor Townsend’s side were unable to reach the heights of which they believed they were capable.

Results

In terms of results, Scotland lost the two games they were expected to lose and won the two they were expected to win.

In their first match in Marseille they failed to lay a glove on world champions South Africa, losing 18-3 and posting their lowest score since the first game of the previous World Cup.

They bounced back strongly with bonus-point wins over Tonga (45-17) and Romania (84-0) to keep their slender qualification hopes alive going into the last game against Ireland.

Needing to win with a bonus point or by denying the world’s top-ranked side a losing bonus in Paris, Scotland endured a chastening evening as the Irish raced into a 36-0 lead.

Two tries in quick succession once the game was beyond them made the scoreline a more respectable 36-14, but the Scots’ inability to trouble either South Africa or Ireland meant they were on the plane home at the end of the pool stage for a second World Cup running.

While there was no disgrace in being eliminated from such a strong pool, Scotland felt they had failed to perform to their potential in the two key matches.

Selection

There were few surprises in the squad head coach Townsend named for the tournament, although the retirement of record try-scorer Stuart Hogg in June – after he had been named in the 41-man provisional group – threw something of a spanner in the works.

Stuart McInally was the most notable omission from the final 33-man squad named in August although the veteran hooker would later be called in after Dave Cherry withdrew due to injury following the first game.

Townsend selected a familiar-looking side for South Africa and Ireland, with the only change to the XV between those two key matches the introduction of scrum-half Ali Price in place of Ben White.

The team remained relatively strong against Tonga, with only four changes from the Boks game, and the second stringers were given a run-out against Romania, meaning every player in the squad saw game-time except McInally, who withdrew himself through injury just over a week after being called in.

Star performers

In a tournament where they misfired collectively in the two games that really mattered, few Scotland players returned home from France with their reputations enhanced.

Darcy Graham could at least take consolation from bagging five tries – one against Tonga and four against Romania – to climb to second on the national team’s all-time try-scoring list, although he would have traded those scores for a more notable impact against one of the two heavyweights.

Price – who scored tries against Romania and Ireland – would also be entitled to see the tournament as a nominal success on an individual level since he managed to regain the number nine jersey from White after losing it for the entirety of the Six Nations and the opening two games of the World Cup.

Future

After arriving at the tournament amid a blaze of optimism, a sense of autumnal gloom has descended around the national team in the wake of their early exit.

The Scots – for whom Townsend remains contracted until 2026 – still have a good squad at their disposal, but 10 of the 33-man squad for France were in their 30s, while all of their much-vaunted first-choice back-line will be in their 30s by the time of the next World Cup in Australia.

The most pressing concern for Scotland in the post-tournament analysis is the perceived lack of talent emerging to take over from those nearing the end of their Test careers.

Ollie Smith, Rory Darge and Ewan Ashman were the three youngsters in the squad at 23, but there are very few options currently knocking on the door from the next age bracket down.

Friday’s fixture at Doncaster has been called off following a morning inspection.

A total of 2.3 millimetres of overnight rain on Town Moor has left some areas of already heavy ground saturated, forcing the cancellation of the seven-race card.

The track is due to stage the Kameko Futurity Trophy – the final Group One of the British season – on Saturday and clerk of the course Paul Barker is optimistic on the chances of that meeting going ahead.

He said: “Unfortunately we have had overnight rain which has caused the abandonment of today’s card.

“We are just looking at some rail movements to cover the affected areas and once we have done that, if the forecast is right, we would be pretty confident about tomorrow.”

Ronnie O’Sullivan will swap the green baize for the silver screen next month when the behind-the-scenes story of his quest to claim a record-equalling seventh World Snooker Championship is released in the UK.

‘Ronnie O’Sullivan: The Edge of Everything’ has been produced by David Beckham’s Studio 99, and the initial cinematic release on November 21 is preceded by a special Q&A with the former Manchester United and England star.

Explaining his decision to add to the canon of sporting documentaries, O’Sullivan said: “My highs and lows have been well-documented by the media but I felt like now was the right time to do something more definitive – something that I can look back and reflect on as I contemplate retirement.

“Going into my seventh World Championship I wasn’t sure I had it in me but allowing the cameras in gave me perspective and was a strange catharsis.”

The film, which is directed by Sam Blair, who was behind ‘Maradona 86’ and others, will subsequently be released on Prime Video on November 23, before opening in select cinemas nationwide the following day.

O’Sullivan revealed how the filming of the documentary had helped give him a new “perspective”, shortly after he provided it with a fairytale finish in 2022 with his emotional final victory over Judd Trump.

“I’ve given complete access to the point where if you put a fly on the wall and followed me for 17 days, that’s basically what happened,” O’Sullivan said at the time.

“They’ve been in my dressing room, they’ve been in my hotel room before and after matches and sessions. I embraced it because whatever I get involved in, let’s just make it the best I could possibly do.

“These snooker Gods, their timing is unbelievable. Last year I just hit fire at the right time when they (the cameras) were here, and the stars were written for me. They always have been ever since I was a kid in this game.”

Ronnie O’Sullivan will swap the green baize for the silver screen next month when the behind-the-scenes story of his quest to claim a record-equalling seventh World Snooker Championship is released in the UK.

‘Ronnie O’Sullivan: The Edge of Everything’ has been produced by David Beckham’s Studio 99, and the initial cinematic release on November 21 is preceded by a special Q&A with the former Manchester United and England star.

Explaining his decision to add to the canon of sporting documentaries, O’Sullivan said: “My highs and lows have been well-documented by the media but I felt like now was the right time to do something more definitive – something that I can look back and reflect on as I contemplate retirement.

“Going into my seventh World Championship I wasn’t sure I had it in me but allowing the cameras in gave me perspective and was a strange catharsis.”

The film, which is directed by Sam Blair, who was behind ‘Maradona 86’ and others, will subsequently be released on Prime Video on November 23, before opening in select cinemas nationwide the following day.

O’Sullivan revealed how the filming of the documentary had helped give him a new “perspective”, shortly after he provided it with a fairytale finish in 2022 with his emotional final victory over Judd Trump.

“I’ve given complete access to the point where if you put a fly on the wall and followed me for 17 days, that’s basically what happened,” O’Sullivan said at the time.

“They’ve been in my dressing room, they’ve been in my hotel room before and after matches and sessions. I embraced it because whatever I get involved in, let’s just make it the best I could possibly do.

“These snooker Gods, their timing is unbelievable. Last year I just hit fire at the right time when they (the cameras) were here, and the stars were written for me. They always have been ever since I was a kid in this game.”

What the papers say

Newcastle United will look to bolster their midfield with Al Hilal’s former Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves, The Sun reports. The move comes after Newcastle’s Italian midfielder Sandro Tonali was banned for 10 months for betting breaches.

Chelsea are looking to sign teenage midfielder Gavi, who may leave Barcelona due to financial restrictions. The Daily Express says Barcelona could sell the Spaniard for £87million. Gavi has played in two of three Champions League games so far this season and 10 times in La Liga.

Fulham defender Tosin Adarabioyo is reportedly ready to sign a new long-term deal with the club after boss Marco Silva signed a new contract, according to the Standard.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Julian Alvarez: Manchester City would only sell the 23-year-old Argentinian forward for £80million or more, Football Insider reports.

Kevin de Bruyne: Football Insider also says Saudi Pro League clubs are interested in bringing the 32-year-old Manchester City midfielder to the league in 2024.

The Buffalo Bills overcame a spirited effort from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to win 24-18 on the back of Josh Allen’s three touchdowns.

The Bills quarterback threw for two touchdowns and ran in another as Buffalo’s defence did just enough to hold off a late rally.

It was a back-and-forth affair for most of the first half, each side trading scores until Allen connected with Dalton Kincaid on a 22-yard touchdown reception to give the hosts a seven-point lead at the main break.

Allen added to that lead just a few minutes into the third when he found Gabe Davis in the endzone.

That was the end of the scoring until the final three minutes of the game when Mike Evans scored off a 22-yard pass from Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield.

A successful two-point conversion brought the margin to just one touchdown, but Tampa Bay were unable to find the decisive score before time ran out.

Allen finished with 324 yards in the air and 41 on the ground, while Mayfield threw for 237 yards and two touchdowns.

Damian Lillard scored 14 of his 39 points in a sensational Bucks debut and Milwaukee recovered after blowing a 19-point lead in a 118-117 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday.

Liilard made all 17 of his free-throw attempts and set a record for the most points by a player in his Bucks debut, surpassing Terry Cummings’ 34 points in 1984.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 23 points and 15 rebounds as the Bucks won in Adrian Griffin’s head coaching debut.

Griffin was facing his former boss after spending the past five seasons as an assistant coach for the Toronto Raptors under Nick Nurse, who now coaches the 76ers.

Tyrese Maxey scored 31 points and Kelly Oubre Jr. had 27 for Philadelphia, which played without seven-time All-NBA guard James Harden, who hopes to be traded and was told not to accompany the team to Milwaukee.

Lillard spent his first 11 seasons in Portland and was dealt to the Bucks last month after requesting a trade.

His 3-pointer with 3:41 left put the Bucks ahead for good at 105-104, and he sank another 3 with 73 seconds remaining to make it 116-111.

James takes over late in Lakers’ win

LeBron James scored 10 of his 21 points while playing the entire fourth quarter and the Los Angeles Lakers surged past the short-handed Phoenix Suns, 100-95.

Anthony Davis had 30 points and 13 rebounds for the Lakers, who rallied from a 12-point deficit entering the fourth quarter to earn their first win of the season.

Kevin Durant had 39 points and 11 rebounds for a Phoenix team without injured stars Devin Booker and Bradley Beal.

The Suns held an 84-72 lead entering the fourth quarter but missed 13 of their next 14 shots and committed 10 turnovers in the next 10 minutes.

Steve Borthwick was appointed England captain on this day in 2008 as manager Martin Johnson placed his faith in the Saracens lock forward.

Borthwick had been skipper three times earlier in the year when tight-head prop Phil Vickery, who had led England to the 2007 Rugby World Cup final, was unavailable.

Vickery’s starting spot was no longer secure in the face of competition from Matt Stevens and World Cup winner Johnson turned to a player who filled his second-row position.

Borthwick missed out on England’s 30-man World Cup-winning squad five years earlier, but the 29-year-old had won 39 caps by the autumn of 2008.

“Steve is a good leader who always prepares thoroughly for matches at club and international level,” Johnson said after promoting Borthwick to the captaincy.

“I will not be giving him a specific amount of time in the job, I just want to support him as much as possible.”

Borthwick had a baptism of fire in the role with Twickenham Tests against South Africa, Australia and New Zealand after an opening 39-13 victory over the Pacific Islanders.

All three games against the southern hemisphere superpowers were lost in one-sided fashion, and Borthwick faced fierce criticism from fans and the media.

But Johnson kept faith with him and Borthwick guided England to second place in the 2009 Six Nations Championship.

Borthwick was confirmed as captain for the 2010 Six Nations, in which England finished third, but he sat out the final game against France after aggravating an ongoing knee injury.

He missed the summer tour to Australia and never played for England again, finishing with 57 caps and having captained the side 21 times.

Borthwick was appointed England head coach in December 2022 and his side reached the semi-finals of the following year’s World Cup in France, losing 16-15 to South Africa.