Earl and England look ahead to Rugby World Cup semi-final
England are set to take on South Africa in a Rugby World Cup semi-final with hopes of exacting revenge for their defeat in the final four years ago. The Springboks inflicted a painful defeat on England in the 2019 tournament to deny them the chance to lift the trophy for the second time. And that will be fresh in the minds of some of their star players when they step out onto the pitch for Saturday’s mouthwatering clash.
Steve Borthwick’s men maintained their 100 per cent record in the competition after a thrilling 30-24 success over Fiji in Marseille. Captain Owen Farrell brushed off reports of a fight with team-mate Henry Arundell by scoring five penalties, as the experienced fly-half embraced his starring role on the big stage when it mattered.
They face a South African side in form after they knocked out France with a last-gasp 29-28 victory. The defending champions showed they were determined to hang onto their status for another four years after a late try from Eben Etzebeth secured victory to end France’s 18-game winning run.
It promises to be another tense clash between two rugby titans, with Argentina or 2015 winners New Zealand awaiting the winner in the final. Express Sport has the lowdown on all of the details ahead of the game this weekend.
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Kick-off time and date
England will take on South Africa on Saturday, October 21 in Paris.
Kick-off is scheduled for 8pm for those watching from the UK, and 9pm local time for those fortunate enough to be in France.
Venue
The 80,000-seater Stade de France will host this highly-anticipated fixture and it is expected to be entirely sold out as passionate rugby fans from both sides fill the stands in their droves.
Stade de France was originally built to host their football team’s 1998 World Cup final. It is the largest stadium in the country and will also be the venue for the final on October 28.
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How to watch on TV and live coverage
England’s semi-final match will be broadcast live on channel ITV 1, which is free-to-air television. Those who want to watch the match on a device such as a tablet or iPad will be able to stream it via the ITVX app.
Radio commentary will be available only on the BBC, across Radio 5 Live, 5 Sports Extra and the BBC Sounds service.
Alternatively, you can follow along with Express Sport’s LIVE blog, with all the team news, build-up and a constant stream of text commentary provided to keep you updated throughout the match.
England’s Rugby World Cup squad
Forwards: Ollie Chessum (Leicester), Dan Cole (Leicester), Tom Curry (Sale), Theo Dan (Saracens), Ben Earl (Saracens), Ellis Genge (Bristol), Jamie George (Saracens), Maro Itoje (Saracens), Courtney Lawes (Northampton), Lewis Ludlam (Northampton), Joe Marler (Harlequins), George Martin (Leicester), David Ribbans (Toulon), Bevan Rodd (Sale), Kyle Sinckler (Bristol), Will Stuart (Bath), Billy Vunipola (Saracens), Jack Walker (Harlequins), Sam Underhill (Bath).
Backs: Henry Arundell (Racing 92), Danny Care (Harlequins), Elliot Daly (Saracens), Owen Farrell (Saracens), George Ford (Sale), Ollie Lawrence (Bath), Max Malins (Bristol), Joe Marchant (Stade Francais), Jonny May (Gloucester), Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints), Marcus Smith (Harlequins), Freddie Steward (Leicester), Manu Tuilagi (Sale), Ben Youngs (Leicester).
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