Phil Foden believes England are enjoying “great times” and is relishing being among a wealth of attacking options, even if they mean he is not a certain starter at Euro 2024.

The Manchester City forward started England’s 3-1 win over Italy at Wembley on Tuesday night as the hosts secured qualification to next summer’s finals in Germany.

The Euro 2020 runners-up will no doubt be among the favourites to win the tournament after another strong showing throughout the qualifying campaign.

“These are definitely great times for England,” said Foden.

“We’ve reached a final now and we want to keep doing that. We’ve had a taste for it and we want to be in the big games and the big occasions and we’ve got experience on the pitch to do that so we are enjoying it.

“I thought it was a brilliant performance. I thought our defensive work was really good. When you come up against the likes of Italy you’ve got to defend sometimes because they have a great quality.

“We showed that throughout the game, not just attacking, but the defending side as well so I’m delighted with the result. That’s where we want to be, beating these big teams so we are really happy.”

A treble winner with City last season, Foden now has 29 senior England caps but is not an automatic starter for his country.

Boss Gareth Southgate has plenty of attacking talent at his disposal, with Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka, who missed this international break with a foot injury, arguably ahead of Foden in the current pecking order.

“Bukayo is a quality player, every time he puts on an England shirt he is at least a seven out of 10,” Foden told BBC Radio 5Live.

“He is a fantastic player and it’s exciting, because we’ve still got big players to come back and help us as well.

“So it shows the depth of the squad and, if I’m not starting, I want to come on and try and change the game, so I’m here to help the team as best as I can.”

Jude Bellingham insists there is a belief among the England camp that they can achieve “something special” at Euro 2024 as he hailed manager Gareth Southgate.

The 20-year-old midfielder has been starring for new club Real Madrid this season and was the best player on the pitch as England beat Italy 3-1 at Wembley on Tuesday night to book their spot at next summer’s European Championship.

Bellingham won a penalty which was converted by Harry Kane to draw the hosts level before driving forward to play in Marcus Rashford, whose finish turned the game in England’s favour before captain Kane added late gloss with a third.

The Euro 2020 runners-up will no doubt be among the favourites at the finals in Germany and Bellingham feels there could be a good chance to go one better than two years ago.

“As well as the young players, there’s a great mix of experience who guide us throughout the game and throughout the camps and there is a belief that we could do something special,” he said.

“But it’s all about delivering. It’s all about when the time comes, being there, being present, being ready to take on the challenge and it’s about combining all those things, our past experience and what we have in the dressing room to make sure we’re going to be successful.”

Euro 2024 will be a fourth consecutive tournament under the stewardship of Southgate, who also guided England to the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup before reaching the quarter-finals in Qatar last winter.

While he has yet been unable to bring in the first major silverware for the men’s national team since 1966, Bellingham believes Southgate deserves to be spoken of among the world’s elite coaches.

Asked if he should be considered alongside Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti, Bellingham told beIN Sports: “100 per cent – look at his record as England manager, no-one’s done it as well as him for however many years.

“He takes the time to understand players personally and he knows what kind of things motivate them and get them going for games and I think that is what makes him so top in my opinion, he makes everyone feel so comfortable to play and it’s a pleasure for me to play under him.”

Bellingham will now turn his attention back to LaLiga and the Champions League with Real but admits he is looking forward to returning to Germany, where he previously played for Borussia Dortmund, after England got the job done on Tuesday.

“I can’t wait to go back there,” he added.

“Obviously, it’s a long season until then and it’s about building that momentum until then but you can’t take it for granted.

“There are a lot of players who don’t get to play at those kind of tournaments when their team don’t qualify and I’m sure they’d prefer to be there than sitting at home.

“So we never take it for granted. I’m really grateful that we put in a performance like that to see us through.”

Fly-half Handre Pollard says the pressure of representing South Africa at the World Cup is a privilege as he bids to inflict more misery on England.

Pollard kicked 22 points in the 2019 final to guide the Springboks to glory with a 32-12 win and still remembers the disappointment etched on the faces of Eddie Jones’ men.

The fit-again Leicester playmaker is competing with Manie Libbok to start Saturday’s Paris semi-final after initially being overlooked for his country’s squad due to a calf injury.

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Pollard expects England, now led by Jones’ successor Steve Borthwick, to take their intensity and physicality to a “whole new level” but insists the heavily-fancied reigning champions are ready for it.

“You could see on their faces four years ago the disappointment and I’ve been part of a squad that’s fallen out in a semi-final in a World Cup (in 2015) and it sits with you the rest of your life,” he said.

“There’s a lot of things you look back (on) and regret and maybe think you could have done differently, and I’m sure they will come with that mindset this weekend.

“I think they will be ruthless, I think they will take their intensity and physicality to a whole new level.

“But that being said, we’re prepared for that, we’re ready for that and we enjoy that.

“That’s always a part of the game we love and if there’s going to be beef, there’s going to be beef.

“It’s Test rugby, it’s 80 minutes and we’ve just got to go out and play the game.”

South Africa are seeking to reach their fourth World Cup final, having lifted the trophy in 1995, 2007 and 2019.

Pollard believes the Springboks’ enviable ability to deliver when it really matters can partly be attributed to adversity some players face during childhood.

“It’s just the way we’re brought up,” he said. “We love it.

“It’s not always been easy for a lot of our guys in our squad growing up so when we get to this position and get to this point where there should be a lot of pressure on us, we refer back to it a lot, this is not really pressure, this is more privilege to be a part of these occasions.

“I think our game model and the way we play the game suits World Cups pretty well. We’re comfortable in this environment.

“As a group we just enjoy it, really enjoy that pressure. We always say it’s a privilege to have this pressure on our shoulders playing for our country.”

South Africa progressed to the last four by upsetting hosts France 29-28 on Sunday.

That epic contest included Cheslin Kolbe successfully charging down a Thomas Ramos conversion and Damian Willemse calling for a scrum off a mark inside his own 22.

Earlier in the tournament, the Springboks attracted attention for a bold selection of a seven-one split of forwards and backs on their bench for the Pool B loss to Ireland.

Pollard says players fully embrace the innovative tactics cooked up by director of rugby Rassie Erasmus and head coach Jacques Nienaber.

“Nothing that they do is for no reason, it’s all thought of, it’s all tick-list planned,” he said.

“We trust them because they’ve earned our trust over the years from what they’ve done and how they’ve prepared.

“So when they come up with these ideas, there are no questions asked.

“They give us a reason why we do whatever we do and then we just back it and we’re all in and we all just trust each other, players to coaches and coaches to players.”

More than 80 per cent of EFL players feel not enough is being done to keep them safe from physical harm and discrimination on the pitch, while more than half are opposed to new rules on added time.

Over 50 per cent of the 100 players in the Sky Bet Championship, League One and League Two surveyed by the Professional Footballers’ Association over the October international break said they had been part of a game where a pitch invasion had resulted in a player being attacked or harassed.

Under 20 per cent felt enough was being done to identify those responsible for pitch invasions, harassment of players and discriminatory chanting.

Almost 60 per cent of players said they did not support new rules on added time introduced at the start of this season.

Referees worldwide have been asked by the game’s lawmakers to more accurately measure the time lost to stoppages such as goal celebrations, injuries, substitutions and VAR checks, after the approach was first trialled at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Nearly 60 per cent of the EFL players also said they believed the longer games resulting from the new rules were causing more players to get injured.

The survey found almost 75 per cent felt players were not given a proper break between seasons, with almost 60 per cent feeling that a lack of rest and recovery time was leading to more players getting injured.

The survey respondents were split almost 50-50 on whether VAR should be introduced into the EFL. The PA news agency understands 47 respondents were in favour, 46 against and the remaining seven unsure.

Almost a third did not support the use of VAR in the sport at all, and while nearly 60 per cent said they broadly supported its use, they felt significant improvements were needed.

The PFA will use the survey results to highlight existing protections and rights that its members may not be aware of. On lack of rest and recovery time, for instance, the PFA has highlighted that in the current men’s standard contract, negotiated by the union, players are entitled to five weeks of paid holiday per year.

It also means clubs should not “unreasonably refuse” a request from a player to take three weeks of holiday consecutively, for example between seasons.

PFA chief executive Maheta Molango said: “The intention of a project like this is to identify areas where we need to work collaboratively with those who run the game, and to ensure that the views of players are heard and acted on.

“Issues around player workload continue to be raised by players at all levels, whether that’s Virgil van Dijk and Raphael Varane speaking about the work we are doing with them to address the uncontrolled growth of the fixture calendar, or EFL members telling us that, overwhelmingly, they are not getting suitable rest and recovery between seasons.

“This will continue to be a priority for us, but where there are already rights in place to protect players, it’s important that they are aware of them. It’s equally important for us as a union to know when players may feel they need support enforcing such rights.”

Omar Beckles, the PFA chair and a current player at Leyton Orient, added: “We’re constantly talking to members, but these surveys are another way of letting them share their views.

“That insight is really valuable for us when we’re in the room, on their behalf, with the bodies who run the game.”

An EFL spokesperson said: “Player welfare is a priority for all the game’s stakeholders. We note the findings of the member survey, and we look forward to discussing the specific details behind the results with the PFA.”

Gareth Southgate says England are ready to fight for European Championship glory having progressed from what he believes was the toughest qualifying group with two matches to spare.

After bouncing back from December’s World Cup quarter-final exit to France by winning in Naples in March, three further wins and a draw away to Ukraine put the Euro 2020 runners-up within touching distance of progress.

Unbeaten England only needed a point against Italy to wrap up qualification for next year’s finals in Germany but went on to secure all three thanks to an impressive 3-1 comeback victory at a sold-out Wembley.

“Really pleased to win the game tonight,” manager Southgate said after sealing their spot at Euro 2024. “That’s the first thing.

“We know that the games against the top, top nations are the ones that we want to make a step forward with.

“We still need to win the games next month because it can affect seeding.

“Nice to get it done early. I think it’s probably the toughest qualifying group, with Ukraine, Italy and the results that North Macedonia have had, not only in this qualification but also in previous qualifications.”

The pressure is off as England welcome Malta next month, before rounding off 2023 away to North Macedonia buoyed by an impressive victory against Italy.

Former West Ham striker Gianluca Scamacca had put the Azzurri ahead on Tuesday as these nations met at Wembley for the first time since the Euro 2020 final.

But Harry Kane levelled from the spot and Marcus Rashford finished off a fine second-half team move, before the skipper added his second on a night that underlined their place among the Euro 2024 favourites.

“I think we have to accept that,” Southgate said. “I think pressure comes when expectation is different to reality and the reality is we are going to be one of the teams capable of winning.

“There are others. You know, it’s a very strong (line-up). You’ve only got to look through the top 10 European nations and on any given night one can beat another.

“We’re seeing in a Rugby World Cup now that teams that were ranked one and two in the world in those moments haven’t been able to get there.  That’s tournaments.

“But we’re comfortable with that. I’ve talked about that from when we played at Naples and we delivered that night.

“I think we’ve continued to do that through this calendar year. I think our performances have been good.

“I think the players that played against Australia did a brilliant job for us.

“If we didn’t have the depth that we’ve got and the mentality to come through what was a really tough night for them, we wouldn’t have been able to have the freshness that we had tonight to give ourselves the best chance of winning the game.”

One of the keys to success next summer will undoubtedly be the brilliance of midfielder Jude Bellingham.

The Real Madrid star is arguably the best player on the planet right now and earned the first half penalty scored by Kane, before winning the ball and playing in Rashford.

“With Jude, his mentality is incredible for his age,” Southgate said.

“To have such an impact at such a young age, to show such maturity but also humility. We’re very lucky to have him.”

As for Italy, Tuesday’s defeat under the arch leaves them in third in Group C and three points behind second-placed Ukraine.

But Luciano Spalletti’s men have a game in hand on Sergey Rebrov’s outfit, who they face in the final round of fixtures.

“We have to win our next game so we can then travel away to Ukraine to compete,” the Italy boss said, looking ahead to November’s home clash with North Macedonia.

“I saw a team trying to do what I asked of them and I saw some good things. We made a few errors as well.

“With the things we did well, we weren’t able to score but as soon as we made a mistake, we conceded.”

Marcus Smith is now viewed as a “world class” option at full-back by England after Kevin Sinfield was blown away by his defensive heroics against Fiji.

England are hopeful that Smith will be passed fit for Saturday’s World Cup semi-final against South Africa after he was placed on modified training alongside Jonny May, Manu Tuilagi, Tom Curry, Courtney Lawes and Dan Cole.

The converted fly-half ended the last-eight victory over Fiji on Sunday with a fat upper lip and bandage around his head after he was the victim of a dangerous tackle by wing Vinaya Habosi, forcing him to depart for an HIA which he passed.

Once again he is competing with Freddie Steward for the number 15 jersey and, after two starts in the position, Sinfield sees a player who has the bravery to match his attacking brilliance.

“We’d all agree he’s a world class 10, but last weekend I felt he was a world class 15 as well,” England’s defence coach said

“You’ve got to remember this guys has played around 100, 120 minutes as a full-back in Test rugby so far.

“What he’s done on the training field for us has been outstanding. You’re blown away by what he does now that he’s being given more time and space.

“If there was any doubt how brave and courageous he is then you saw it with your own eyes. The bloke got his face smashed in and threw his body into tackles.

“The guys are in full admiration for him – he’s just got his face smashed all over the place yet he wants the ball. He’s just a brave guy.

“And not just because he’s physically tough and brave, because to be put on a world stage in a quarter-final and deliver what he delivered was an absolute credit to him. What a great kid.”

Steward was dropped from the 23 against Fiji altogether and now England face the choice of reverting to his high ball and positional expertise or rolling the dice by retaining Smith in the hope he will provide a cutting edge.

South Africa possess a far smarter kicking game that could expose Smith’s inexperience at full-back, pointing to Steward’s likely return when Steve Borthwick names his team on Thursday.

“I’ve worked with Fred for some time now and thankfully I’ve not had to have many of these conversations where I’m trying to pick him up,” Sinfield said.

“Clearly he was disappointed, as anyone would be, missing out on a quarter-final, but he’s responded as we’d expect him to.

“He is a great lad, you know what he’s about, he works incredibly hard at his game, he cares and he is unbelievable full-back too.

“We are in a pretty fortunate position where we have three world class 10s and two world class full-backs.

“Our team has changed every game throughout the World Cup and Steve selects the team he thinks it will give us the best chance of winning that game.

“Just because Fred wasn’t selected last week doesn’t mean he does anything wrong, he has actually done a lot of great things and a lot of things right, but Steve and the coaching team thought it was the right thing to go with Marcus against Fiji.”

England wrapped up qualification for Euro 2024 with two matches to spare as Harry Kane’s brace helped Gareth Southgate’s side secure a 3-1 comeback win against Italy.

Having kicked off Group C with an impressive victory in Naples, it has long been a case of when rather than if the unbeaten Euro 2020 runners-up would seal their spot in Germany.

Italy stood in their way of early progress as these nations met at Wembley for the first time since they pipped Southgate’s men to European Championship glory on penalties.

England have come a long way in the intervening 27 months and emphatically bounced back from former West Ham striker Gianluca Scamacca’s early gut punch under the arch.

Kane struck from the spot after Giovanni Di Lorenzo brought down brilliant Jude Bellingham in the box, putting the hosts on course for the point they needed to go through.

But England wanted more and returned from the break with the bit between their teeth, with Real Madrid star Bellingham beginning a brilliant counter-attack that ended with him playing in Marcus Rashford to rifle home.

It will have been a special moment given the England forward missed one of the penalties against Italy and Kane added late gloss as the skipper looks forward to leading the national team to next year’s Euros.

England head coach Shaun Wane has urged his side to learn the lessons from last year’s World Cup heartbreak as they prepare to kick off their three-match international series against Tonga in St Helens on Sunday.

Wane has named an initial 24-man squad for the series, which will mark their first serious test since their agonising golden-point semi-final defeat to Samoa at the Emirates Stadium last November, following a facile 64-0 win over France in June.

“We fell short at the World Cup and we need to improve,” said Wane, whose squad is a blend of youth and experience, and includes Wigan captain Liam Farrell, making his first appearance since 2021 after missing the World Cup with a knee injury.

“Tonga are very talented and their players play in an unbelievable competition so it is a massive challenge for us.

“Samoa was a massive test for us last year and we fell short, but we learned a lot of lessons and we have made progress. I’m very happy with the squad that I’ve got and I’m really excited to see how the young players perform in such a pressured environment.”

Farrell is one of four players from the newly-crowned Super League champions to be included in the squad along with team-mates Tyler Dupree, Toby King and Harry Smith.

England captain George Williams has also been named in the squad despite awaiting the results of a disciplinary tribunal which could rule him out for all or part of the action.

Catalans winger Tom Johnstone and St Helens full-back Jack Welsby – both Man of Steel nominees – are included, and there is also a place for Leigh forward Robbie Mulhern after an impressive campaign with the Challenge Cup winners.

Wane added: “I’m really happy with the mixture of senior players and young kids, and I know they’re all proud to represent their country.

“All of the players included have impressed me throughout their respective Super League and NRL campaigns and are worthy of representing their country in this historic series.”

Nevertheless Wane’s options were hampered by a series of injury-enforced withdrawals, including Saints duo Jonny Lomax and Alex Walmsley and Wigan centre Jake Wardle, fresh from winning the Harry Sunderland Trophy for man of the match on Saturday.

Dismissing questions over the international futures of the likes of Lomax, who also missed out on the World Cup, Wane continued: “Without sounding nasty, I’ve forgotten about them. The only people I’m thinking about are in the 24-man squad.”

England squad to face Tonga: Matty Ashton (Warrington Wolves), John Bateman (Wests Tigers), Tom Burgess (South Sydney Rabbitohs), Daryl Clark, Ben Currie (both Warrington Wolves), Tyler Dupree, Liam Farrell (both Wigan Warriors), Chris Hill (Huddersfield Giants), Tom Johnstone (Catalans Dragons), Toby King (Wigan Warriors), Morgan Knowles, Matty Lees (both St Helens), Mikey Lewis (Hull KR), Tommy Makinson (St Helens), Mike McMeeken (Catalans Dragons), Robbie Mulhern (Leigh Leopards), Harry Newman (Leeds Rhinos), Victor Radley (Sydney Roosters), Harry Smith (Wigan Warriors), Danny Walker (Warrington Wolves), Jack Welsby (St Helens), Elliott Whitehead (Canberra Raiders), George Williams (Warrington Wolves), Dom Young (Newcastle Knights)

Wigan captain Liam Farrell has been named in the England squad for the first time since 2021 for the upcoming three-Test series against Tonga.

Farrell, who missed last year’s World Cup with a knee injury, is one of four players from the newly-crowned Super League champions to be included in England coach Shaun Wane’s 24-strong line-up.

Farrell is joined by team-mates Tyler Dupree, Toby King and Harry Smith for the series, which kicks off at the Totally Wicked Stadium on Sunday.

England captain George Williams has also been named in the squad despite awaiting the results of a disciplinary tribunal which could rule him out for all or part of the action.

Catalans winger Tom Johnstone and St Helens full-back Jack Welsby – both Man of Steel nominees – are included, and there is also place for Leigh forward Robbie Mulhern after an impressive campaign with the Challenge Cup winners.

Wane said: “I’m really pleased with the 24 players coming into camp as we look to beat Tonga in this three-game series.

“All of the players included have impressed me throughout their respective Super League and NRL campaigns and are worthy of representing their country in this historic series.”

England squad to face Tonga: Matty Ashton (Warrington Wolves), John Bateman (Wests Tigers), Tom Burgess (South Sydney Rabbitohs), Daryl Clark, Ben Currie (both Warrington Wolves), Tyler Dupree, Liam Farrell (both Wigan Warriors), Chris Hill (Huddersfield Giants), Tom Johnstone (Catalans Dragons), Toby King (Wigan Warriors), Morgan Knowles, Matty Lees (both St Helens), Mikey Lewis (Hull KR), Tommy Makinson (St Helens), Mike McMeeken (Catalans Dragons), Robbie Mulhern (Leigh Leopards), Harry Newman (Leeds Rhinos), Victor Radley (Sydney Roosters), Harry Smith (Wigan Warriors), Danny Walker (Warrington Wolves), Jack Welsby (St Helens), Elliott Whitehead (Canberra Raiders), George Williams (Warrington Wolves), Dom Young (Newcastle Knights)

Manie Libbok admitted South Africa will be loaded with confidence going into their World Cup semi-final with England after coming through one of the greatest rugby matches in living memory with a one-point victory over hosts France.

In a titanic quarter-final in Paris on Sunday, the Boks twice came from behind to eke out a 29-28 triumph, ending Les Bleus’ 18-game winning run on home soil and ruining their talismanic captain Antoine Dupont’s much-hyped return from injury.

Having pulled off such a momentous victory, the defending champions are now hot favourites to see off Steve Borthwick’s England at Stade de France next Saturday and reach the final for a second tournament running.

“Obviously we’re going to take a lot of positives out of the game because France are a quality team who have done well over the past few years,” said stand-off Libbok.

“We’ve still got a lot of stuff to work on and rectify for the semi-finals but we can take a lot of confidence from beating France.

“They put us under pressure from the word go and it was really hard. I am very proud of the guys for sticking in there and sticking to our game.

“It definitely felt like a game that could go either way and we came out on the right side of it.”

While supporters inside the stadium and watching on television on Sunday were gripped by a captivating showdown that ebbed and flowed at breakneck pace, Libbok found it a thrill to play in.

“Most definitely it was one of the best games I have ever been involved in,” he said. “It was big, obviously with the crowd as well, it was an amazing atmosphere. I really enjoyed it.”

The drama of the quarter-final showdown was highlighted by a moment in the six-try first half when South Africa winger Cheslin Kolbe bolted out to successfully charge down a conversion attempt from Thomas Ramos.

“Cheslin doing that was insane, actually,” said Libbok. “We were very happy for what he did because it took two points away from them and when you look at the result, there was only one point in it, so it was massive from Cheslin.”

Libbok is adamant South Africa will not treat England lightly even though they have been struggling in recent years and are widely deemed to have reached the semi-final mainly due to being in the half of the draw that featured none of the five top-ranked teams in the world.

“England are also a quality team and it’s a play-off so anything can happen,” said the number 10. “It’s important for us to focus on ourselves.

“Recovery is massive now. We have to recover well and prepare well so we are ready to play to the best of our abilities.”

Saturday’s semi-final represents a rematch of both the 2007 and 2019 finals and South Africa scrum-half Faf de Klerk insisted Borthwick’s side should not be underestimated.

“We have played against England a lot. Obviously they have been struggling before the World Cup but they have definitely started to turn things around,” said the 31-year-old, who came off the bench on Sunday to help the Boks see the job through.

“It is going to be a very big, tough challenge, especially with a six-day turnaround. We just have to focus on recovery and make sure we are ready for that.”

Danny Care is ready for the biggest game of his life when England face South Africa in the Rugby World Cup semi-finals.

A repeat of the 2019 final will see England arrive at Stade de France on Saturday as the tournament’s solitary remaining unbeaten team.

Four successive pool-stage victories and a quarter-final triumph against Fiji have combined to confound the critics who predicted an underwhelming tournament for Steve Borthwick’s team.

And while reigning world champions South Africa are firm favourites, resilient England remain in the fight.

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“We have got two more weeks and a massive game to fly into, which will be the biggest game of my life. I can’t wait,” England scrum-half Care said.

“I think the character of this team was questioned before the World Cup and whether we had anything in us to come out here and do anything.

“Hopefully, we have quietly gone about our business and ticked off a few wins. Four from four in the pools, a fifth in the quarter-final against a team who everybody was saying was going to surprise us and beat us.

“It clicked when we got over here, training went up a notch, perhaps because of the severity of where we were and the realisation that we were at a World Cup – the last one for a few of us, the first for others.

“That mixture came together and we gave it our all. We feel like we deserve to be here. We are going to give it our all next weekend and try and make everyone at home proud.

“We have got a lot of lads who played in the World Cup final four years ago, a lot of lads who have won big trophies, won big games. We will use all of that next week to hopefully get another big win.

“We are delighted to be in the semi-final of this World Cup – one step closer to the dream.”

At 36, Care might be in the twilight phase of a Test career that began 15 years ago, but he has showcased every bit of experience gained from winning 94 England caps.

He followed up scoring the winning try in England’s tense victory over Samoa by being at the forefront of the impressive finale in Marseille that repelled a thrilling Fiji fightback and closed out a 30-24 win.

Owen Farrell’s drop goal and penalty confirmed a semi-final ticket, and Care said of the England captain: “Owen was brilliant, as George (Ford) has been brilliant for four games.

“I have played with Owen for 10-12 years now. His levels never dip, both on the field and off the pitch. He is an unbelievable person, an unbelievable player.

“I still think he won’t get the recognition he properly deserves until he stops playing, which I still find incredible. He is showing again and again what a wonderful world-class player he is. He is a top bloke.”

Owen Farrell is criticised unfairly and should receive greater acclaim after leading England into the World Cup semi-finals, according to attack coach Richard Wigglesworth.

Farrell vindicated his selection ahead of George Ford at fly-half with a man-of-the-match display in Sunday’s 30-24 victory over Fiji, landing a crucial drop-goal and penalty as part of a 20-point haul.

England’s captain kicked and passed with accuracy throughout and had a hand in Manu Tuilagi’s opening try – all in defiance of the booing that greeted his name being read out on the pre-match tannoy at Stade Velodrome.

The fans’ response was typical of a player who divides opinion, but he was outstanding as England dug themselves out of trouble against Fiji and Wigglesworth feels he does not get the credit he deserves.

“We are lucky to have Owen. As ever, the tallest trees catch the most wind and he seems to catch a fair bit of it,” Wigglesworth said.

“He’s proven time and time and time again and I don’t understand why in England we feel the need to not celebrate that, not enjoy it, just because he’s not sat in front of social media or the media lapping all that up.

“He is incredibly serious abut his career, he is an incredibly proud Englishman. He affects any team he is in and he was brilliant for us – as we knew he would be.

“That was the maddening part of any noise. We knew what was coming from him.”

South Africa await in the last four and enter the rematch of the 2019 final as strong favourites following their monumental victory over France in Paris on Sunday night.

The tournament has lost its magic with the demise of France, Fiji and Ireland, but England will not care as they continue to surpass expectations, progressing as the only unbeaten team.

A fifth appearance in the final appears an unlikely prospect, however, with Wigglesworth aware of the challenge ahead.

“How special is it to be able to beat France, with the form they are in and in their own backyard? That was a special performance from an incredible team,” Wigglesworth said.

“We are probably talking about one of the best rugby teams to ever do it aren’t we? The strength of their game and how they play is well known, but in the last year or so you’ve seen a massive evolution in what they do.

“They’ve started adding things to their game with how they move the ball and how they exit, all different things so they’ve now got more variety.

“They’ve got multiple threats now and that’s probably why they are aiming to be one of the best ever.”

England are hoping to have a clean bill of health against South Africa with players undergoing medical checks on Monday morning.

Jordan Henderson insists he will not walk away from international football despite being booed off the Wembley pitch by England fans on Friday night.

Eyebrows were raised when Henderson swapped his role as Liverpool skipper for the Saudi Pro League, joining Steven Gerrard’s Al-Ettifaq in a controversial £12million deal.

The midfielder had been a high-profile supporter of LGBTQ+ rights during his time at Anfield and last month apologised for any hurt he caused by moving to a country where homosexuality is illegal.

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There was no noticeable negative reaction towards him during September’s double-header against Ukraine and Scotland, but things were different when he captained England in their first home match since his controversial move.

There were murmurs when Henderson’s named was read out before the 1-0 friendly win against Australia but a vocal minority very audibly jeered when he was replaced in the second half.

“It’s not nice, your own fans (booing),” he said.

“Everybody has got their own opinion. I love playing for England, I have done for many years, that’s why I’m still here.

“I still want to play for England for as long as I possibly can and give everything for the team, for my country.

“To lead the team out meant an awful lot to me and my family. Another special night and we got the win which is the most important thing.

“But listen, people have got their own opinions. Whenever I bump into anyone on the street it’s always been positive stuff and nice things said.

“It won’t change who I am and what I do for this team and for my country. I give absolutely everything every time.”

England manager Gareth Southgate questioned those supporters who decided to boo his vice-captain, with Henderson admitting he was also unsure why – even if he accepted he would face criticism for his move to Saudi.

Asked if he understood the jeers, the 33-year-old replied: “Not really. I don’t know… if people want to boo if I’m playing in a different country, that’s fine.

“Like I said, everyone is going to have an opinion over when I’m playing over in Saudi.

“I’ve spoken in the past about the reasons for that. Whether people believe us or not is up to them.

“Of course it’s disappointing, but it won’t change what I do here. I want to keep playing and keep fighting and help the team become successful.

“I haven’t been surprised by that because I can understand the reasons in what they’re saying. I look at it from a different point of view, obviously.

“But I can understand it and I’ve got to take that on the chin.”

Asked about Southgate’s public support and continued selection, the former Sunderland youngster added: “Yes, the gaffer has been really good as always.

“I’ve always felt support and backing from him and the rest of the lads.

“It’s nice to know that you’ve got the backing of the manager and your team-mates but that’s never been in doubt for me. That’s always been the case.”

Henderson may have switched Merseyside for the Middle East but he feels enough at home to have already backed Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the 2034 World Cup.

The country abandoned a 2030 joint-bid with Greece and Egypt and announced their solo pitch on October 4 – with Henderson involved in the promotional video.

“By that time I think they will put on a pretty good World Cup, to be honest,” Henderson said about taking part in the bid.

“So I think that’s exciting times for them as a country and I think it will be a special tournament if they ended up getting it.

“I’ve been there for two months and there’s been no issues in terms of fans or anything like that.

“It is a long waiting time from now, but I think they’ll enjoy the experience there.

“When we look at Qatar, the way that they did the job there, it was a good tournament; I think the fans enjoyed the tournament and I think Saudi would be no different.”

England head coach Steve Borthwick hailed his players’ composure and resilience after they repelled a thrilling Fiji fightback to book a place in the Rugby World Cup semi-finals.

Fiji tied the game after scoring two converted tries in four second-half minutes, but skipper Owen Farrell kicked a late drop-goal and penalty to see England home 30-24.

“For large parts of the game we controlled it,” Borthwick said.

“There was a spell when Fiji scored back-to-back tries which Fiji can do well, probably better than anyone else in the world, but we stayed composed and got back ahead on the scoreboard.

“The players were written off. A lot of people said we wouldn’t get out of the pool. We got out of the pool, now we got out of the quarter-final.

“Now these players have an opportunity in Paris in the semi-final. I am sure we will be written off again, but these players rise to the occasion.”

Farrell scored 20 points and led from the front on his return as starting fly-half, and Borthwick added: “I think he is a fantastic leader. He is the kind of leader I know I would want to follow on to the pitch.

“I think he is a brilliant player who thrives in the contest, and especially in these big occasions he just gets even better.”

England find themselves one win away from a second successive World Cup final appearance, and while they will start as clear outsiders to progress further next Saturday, Borthwick’s team made it five successive victories in the tournament.

“Today, for large parts we controlled the game and then had a couple of thunderbolts that hit the team in quick succession,” he added.

“I think you’ve seen in a (recent) period of time the England team weren’t coming back to win that game, and this team did.

“We talked about scenarios and how you handle different situations. I think the players are drawing on all of those experiences now.”

England controlled the closing minutes of an enthralling encounter in exemplary fashion as Fiji threatened to complete a recovery act they almost pulled off against Wales last month.

Farrell said: “I thought the team was brilliant in those moments. We managed to wrestle our way back into the game and we got in the right parts of the field.

“We managed to take our chances. Not just that, but we backed it up with a big defensive performance on the back of that.

“There are a lot of good teams left in this competition.

“We have got to have a massive amount of respect for what other teams can do – that is what this stage is like. You saw from Fiji today how much power and skill they had, and they could turn it on in the blink of eye.

“We will prepare the way we have been doing over the past five-six weeks we have been here. We will enjoy getting to a big occasion and a big week, and we will attack it.”

Fiji bowed out, but not before producing further evidence of their game-breaking and try-scoring brilliance that troubled Wales and pushed England – who they beat for the first time ever at Twickenham in August – to the limit in Marseille.

“I think it is just the start of something special,” Fiji head coach Simon Raiwalui said. “They wanted to create a new identity, and I think they have done that.

“I am a bit speechless at the moment. I couldn’t be prouder of the boys.

“We’ve worked so hard from week one – 15 weeks now – and they have shown where we belong on the world stage.”

Footage emerged on social media of fans fighting in the stands at Stade Velodrome after England scored their opening try in the first half.

World Rugby has confirmed that a small number of fans were ejected from the stadium as a result.

England captain Jos Buttler told his side to “let it hurt” after their World Cup campaign hit the skids with a shock defeat to Afghanistan.

The defending champions were thrashed by 69 runs in Delhi, dismissed for 215 with almost 10 overs to spare by a team who walked into the contest with a record of 16 defeats from the previous 17 World Cup matches.

That their only previous success came against associates Scotland in 2015 makes the result, and the comfortable margin, even more remarkable.

And while it will go down in Afghan sporting history, England may end up reflecting on the day their title defence ended.

They are not down and out yet, with six group games still to play, but two losses from their first three games mean they must put together a near-perfect run to reach the semi-finals.

Buttler looked drained and drawn by events at the Arun Jaitley Stadium and accepted his side would need to feel some pain before plotting their response.

“It’s really disappointing. We came here today wanting to put in a really good performance and we got outplayed,” he said.

“You’ve got to let these defeats hurt. Let it hurt; then try to figure out where we need to get better.

“It never feels good; you never like losing games of cricket or not performing to the level you want to.

“As a whole, we were not at the level we would like to be in a World Cup. On the field and off it, we will be trying to put it right.

“It’s a big setback. Before the tournament started it’s not how you would have looked at the first three results.

“We’ve got to show a lot of character, a lot of resilience within the team and most of all a lot of belief.”

England have plenty of issues to ponder when they relocate to Mumbai for what now seems a must-win clash against in-form South Africa.

Chris Woakes continued an underwhelming start to the tournament and was awarded just four of his allotted 10 overs after being flogged for 41.

For a player who has so often set England up with new ball discipline, his struggles appear emblematic of a team struggling to reach their own high bar.

Woakes sent down a wide from the first ball of the match, with Buttler nutmegging himself behind the stumps as the ball tricked away to the boundary rope. As a portent of what was to come, it felt apt.

It was also telling that England ended up relying on 24 overs of spin having overlooked Moeen Ali – including a full 10 from Liam Livingstone for the first time in ODI cricket and four from the part-time Joe Root.

“Maybe the conditions didn’t play quite as we thought they would. Obviously throughout our bowling innings, spin was the main threat,” he said.

“Maybe there wasn’t quite as much dew as we thought there was and maybe the pitch didn’t quite play how we thought it would having watched a few games here so far in the tournament.

“But first ball of the day I missed one and it sort of set the tone.”

Former England batter Jonathan Trott, forging a new path now as the Afghanistan head coach, was beaming after landing the biggest scalps of his career.

“It’s always nice. I think I’ll take any victory. I’m very proud of the performance, whether it’s against England or not,” he said.

“I know that the players and the coaching staff deserve it. I’m very keen not to put a dampener on things.

“I never soaked up enough or enjoyed moments like this. I’m certainly going to say to the guys, enjoy tonight and, spend the time together, whatever you want to do.

“If this can bring a smile to people’s faces anywhere in the world, but also encourage boys and girls to pick up a cricket bat or a cricket ball and get playing cricket in Afghanistan, then that’s the sort of the goal that’s been achieved.”