Kevin Sinfield has demanded England’s players empty the tanks in Saturday’s World Cup semi-final against South Africa to ensure they are not left with lifelong regrets.

For eight of the starting XV it is the chance to avenge their defeat to the Springboks in the 2019 final when the expectations generated by a thumping victory over New Zealand a round earlier were ground into the Yokohama Stadium turf.

Steve Borthwick’s England were given little hope of challenging for South Africa’s crown due a dismal series of warm-up fixtures which extended their losing run to five defeats in six Tests, yet they are the only unbeaten side left in the tournament.

Defence coach Sinfield sees the benefit of continuing to confront adversity head on at the Stade de France.

“I am certainly not overwhelmed. I understand the challenge in front of us,” the English rugby league great said.

“But I don’t mind being backed into a corner, don’t mind being written off, don’t mind being slammed, don’t mind being in the thick of a pretty tough circumstance.

“I just think that we’re in a World Cup semi-final, there is a lot of good in us, there are a lot of things to be excited about.

“Coming up against South Africa will let us know where we’re at. But for our players, they are so excited to be out there.

“Rewind eight weeks to the end of August and it was pretty grim for us, but we want them to absolutely rip into it on Saturday night.

“We want them to give everything they’ve got, otherwise you end up with a load of regrets for the rest of your life.

“We are really looking forward to this – we are coming up against the best team in the world at the weekend.”

England have a mix of ages in their squad ranging from 22-year-old George Martin to 36-year-old Dan Cole and Sinfield believes that the final message to the squad before they take the field needs to be delivered with more subtlety in the modern era.

“It’s probably more subtle than Churchillian speeches and understanding that leadership has changed and this generation is different,” Sinfield said.

“Gone is the big Churchillian leader. They do exist but they’re quite rare.”

South Africa director of rugby Rassie Erasmus is adept at what Warren Gatland describes as “dark arts”, such as using mind games to give his side an edge.

The most recent example is the suggestion that the Springboks used HIAs in their quarter-final victory over France to give forwards Duane Vermeulen, Pieter-Steph du Toit and Bongi Mbonambi a rest – a claim denied by Erasmus.

Attack coach Richard Wigglesworth insists England are ready for any scheming but believe the match will be decided in other areas.

“I’m sure that, with the smarts of their coaching team, they will try to throw stuff at us, no doubt. Will that be the winning and losing of this game? Probably not,” Wigglesworth said.

“It will probably be the big bits of the game that decides that and then they’ll give those little nuances a chance.

“I wouldn’t like to guess what they are going to try and do because I know they will watch and hear everything we say. I wouldn’t like to try and give anyone a head start.”

South Africa have condemned the death threat received by scrum-half Cobus Reinach ahead of Saturday’s Rugby World Cup semi-final against England.

Montpellier player Reinach was targeted on social media in the wake of his country’s 29-28 quarter-final victory over hosts France.

Springboks director of rugby Rassie Erasmus highlighted the abuse directed at the 33-year-old by posting a screen grab on his X account.

South Africa assistant coach Mzwandile Stick, who said Reinach is in a “good space”, praised the security levels at the tournament and believes the matter is being handled by the French authorities.

“We’re well aware of the situation with Cobus and his family,” Stick said on the eve of facing England in Paris.

“We don’t have a place for hooligans in our game. The players do their job to make sure they represent their country and we are here to represent South Africa.

“If somebody has got a problem with that, I think the French authorities will have to deal with that.

“But from our side, we’ll make sure we protect each other: our players, management, everyone involved.

“We don’t have a place for that in the game. You win some, lose some as part of the game.

“Whoever sent that message to the player, I’m really disappointed about that.

“We’ll keep doing everything in our powers to make sure we make our people proud at home.

“Regarding the situation, I think it’s well handled now by the French authorities.”

Reinach, who played for Northampton between 2017 and 2020, will start against Steve Borthwick’s side at the Stade de France as part of an unchanged South Africa line-up.

The message sent to him, translated from French, read: “Dirty son of a b****. I hope that when you return to Montpellier you get murdered by French people on the ground. Gang of thieves. Easy to win a title by cheating.”

Many France supporters criticised the performance of the match officials following their elimination at the hands of the Springboks, while Les Bleus captain Antoint Dupont suggested referee Ben O’Keeffe was not “up to the level of the game”.

Asked how Reinach is feeling, Stick replied: “He’s proper. I’ve seen him every day.

“He’s in a good space, he’s got his family around him.

“In our camp, we must also give credit to the French security around our hotels. With all the teams, the security is just another level.

“I don’t think at the moment there is something to worry about because we know for sure we are well protected in our camps.”

Tom Curry knows what it takes to defeat South Africa as he braced England for the fight of their lives in Saturday’s World Cup semi-final at the Stade de France.

Curry was part of the side that was crushed by the Springboks in the 2019 final, but he also played in England’s two victories against their rivals in 2018 and 2021 as well winning with the British and Irish Lions that same year.

Having experienced highs and lows against the reigning champions, Curry has built up an insight into the type of performance needed to topple the world champions.

“I’ve been lucky enough to experience both sides. I understand what it takes and it’s going to be a lot so can’t wait to go after it this weekend,” the all-action openside said.

“It’s always a great game when you play against them. We know the Springboks and they’ve developed their game. They’ve matured and we have as well.

“This is a clash between two very exciting teams and we can’t wait to go. It’s a semi-final. If that’s not enough to get you up for a game then I don’t know what will.

“For me there’s no place you’d rather be than in a semi-final against South Africa.”

Wing Elliot Daly is another survivor from England’s harrowing defeat in Yokohama four years ago and one of a small group of players whose international careers were revived by Steve Borthwick’s appointment in December.

The versatile Saracens back, who had fallen out of favour with Borthwick’s predecessor Eddie Jones, believes that experience has no relevance to Saturday’s rematch.

“It was disappointing four years ago but the feel around this team is that it’s a very different team to then,” Daly said.

“I had a bit of time out from the squad and then when I came back in, there was a different feeling within this group. We’re going to try and harness that.”

Daly will form a back three with Jonny May and Freddie Steward, who has been reinstated in the number 15 jersey after losing it to Marcus Smith for the quarter-final victory over Fiji.

Even if Smith had not been ruled out by concussion, however, it is unlikely Steward would have been overlooked given he has the skills needed to deal with South Africa’s precision kicking game.

“Fred’s been brilliant since he started playing for England. The confidence he’s shown since the start of the World Cup campaign has been brilliant,” Daly said.

“He’s a rock at the back under the high ball and he’s really starting to grasp the attack game now.

“He’s making really good decisions on the edge, which are usually putting me in space, which is nice. He’s a quality player and we back him all the way.

“The relationship between us in the back three now is brilliant – we can talk to one another on the field and make sure we’re in the right positions to try to take advantage of any space back there.”

England were grappling with a selection quandary on the eve of their crucial World Cup clash against South Africa, with captain Jos Buttler weighing up Chris Woakes’ role as leader of the attack.

Woakes’ new-ball skills have been a reliable centrepiece of the side ever since their white-ball reinvention eight years ago, but he has suffered an uncharacteristic wobble since arriving in India.

Three loose starts from the usually dependable seamer have undermined England’s efforts so far and an economy rate of 7.5 an over, coupled with two wickets at 67.50 each, tells a concerning story.

But with victory a must in Mumbai on Saturday following defeats to New Zealand and Afghanistan, taking the most established pace bowler out of the firing line would still represent a significant call.

Buttler acknowledged Woakes’ long-term record and recent dip in form represented a conflicted picture and is set to thrash the matter out with head coach Matthew Mott.

“He’s been a fantastic performer for an incredibly long time for England in all the formats and especially in one-day cricket,” he said.

“But we’re all honest guys, right? We’re all honest professionals who hold each other to high standards and individually expect a lot of ourselves. He knows he’s not performing quite how he would like to at the minute, and that’s frustrating, but there’s no judgement from our side.

“We always back all our players that are in our team – we picked them for a number of reasons and one because they’re high-class players and he’s certainly one of those.”

David Willey stands by as a specialist powerplay bowler, eager to showcase his left-arm swing on the World Cup stage after missing out on the 2019 tournament by a whisker, while Surrey’s Gus Atkinson has yet to feature.

Whatever happens, Ben Stokes is locked in to make his eagerly-anticipated return after missing all three games with a hip injury. And, with his stand-in Harry Brook providing the only bright spot of a botched chase against Afghanistan, a rebalancing of the XI could be under consideration. Sam Curran, light on runs and expensive with the ball, has left himself particularly vulnerable.

“I think I’ve got so many options within the squad, selection is always tough,” Buttler said.

“You’re working out the right balance, which is always venue dependent as well, and we’ve had a good chance to see the wicket here and gather a bit more information.

“Obviously Ben has trained really well and it’s great to see him back. He obviously brings a lot on the field and with his presence and leadership skills as well, so he’s someone who is always good to turn to.”

Both teams are looking to bounce back from stinging upsets last time out, with the Proteas’ implosion against the Netherlands somehow leapfrogging England’s reverse against Afghanistan in the pantheon of World Cup shocks within 24 hours.

The last time the two sides faced off at this storied venue, in the 2016 T20 World Cup, it was a classic encounter that saw England hunt down 230 – still their record chase in the format.

There are six survivors from that side still on parade seven years later, including Buttler. Now he is hoping England can relocate similar attacking instincts once again.

“There are great memories of that night, albeit a long time ago. It was one of my favourite games,” he recalled.

“I think this is one of the great grounds in India. I love playing cricket here. I think it’s a fantastic cricket wicket and, absolutely, it should suit us.

“We want to find ways to make a play, to put the opposition under pressure in lots of different ways. That doesn’t always mean hitting fours and sixes, it means can we push back when the opposition is on top or can we really take the initiative in different ways. That’s what we want to live by as a team.”

England and South Africa meet in the World Cup for the sixth time in Saturday’s rematch of the 2019 final.

Here the PA news agency examines five talking points as the rivals battle it out for a place in the Paris showpiece on October 28.

Rising from the ashes

It was only eight weeks ago that England fell to their first defeat to a current tier two nation after Fiji had run riot at Twickenham, yet now they are one win away from a second successive appearance in the World Cup final. A kind draw has facilitated their march into the last four but they have also emerged from every challenge thrown at them – including a rematch with dangerous Fiji in the previous round – and in the process developed the vital ability to dig out victory when faced by adversity. Remarkably given the strength of Ireland and France, they are the last remaining Six Nations representative and the only unbeaten team left in the tournament.

English beef

England may have distanced themselves from the game’s billing as a rematch of the 2019 final but with eight starters from that clash in Yokohama present on each side, the historical context is undeniable. South Africa director of rugby Rassie Erasmus expects the underdogs to have “beef” after they were flattened 32-12 on an afternoon of crushing disappointment four years ago, capitulating without firing a shot. While not the most powerful source of their motivation for Saturday, revenge would be sweet.

Score to settle

Of the survivors from four years ago, Dan Cole’s story is the most remarkable. When Kyle Sinckler was knocked out just three minutes into the final, Cole came on as his replacement and suffered a torrid time at the scrum until Joe Marler took over at loosehead early the third quarter, steadying the set piece. Leicester’s veteran tighthead became the fall guy and was cast into the international wilderness with little hope of a reprieve. But the stars aligned when Steve Borthwick took over in December and at 36-years-old the Test centurion has the opportunity to avenge that day against the Springboks by nullifying what England’s head coach views as the best scrum in the world.

Puncher’s chance

Given the way England are talking, they will not die wondering. They have a core of players capable of making dents on South Africa in different ways and several are in ‘last dance’ territory, knowing this could be their last appearance in a Red Rose jersey, providing additional inspiration. But the Springboks are overwhelming favourites, with bookmakers giving Borthwick’s men only a puncher’s chance. How much Sunday’s epic victory over France has taken out of them will only become clear at the Stade de France, but they are one of the great South Africa sides who are playing for a nation beset by challenges, as vocalised by skipper Siya Kolisi – “we’re a purpose-driven team, not a trophy-driven team”.

Rassie’s “dark arts”

Erasmus is a wily operator, a master disruptor who attempts to unsettle opponents and officials through the use of mind games or by coming up with unusual innovations to give his team an edge. Opting for a scrum when a mark was called against France in the quarter-finals is an example of the latter, while his use of social media – most notoriously during the 2021 Lions tour – is frequently controversial. Warren Gatland knows from his sparring with Erasmus when he was Lions coach two years ago of the danger of allowing him to “control the agenda” because of his skill at the “dark arts”.

England will be appearing in the Rugby World Cup semi-finals for the sixth time when they lock horns with current champions South Africa at the Stade de France on Saturday.

Here the PA news agency looks back at their previous five last-four encounters.

1991, Edinburgh: Scotland 6 England 9
Rob Andrew’s drop-goal clinched the win for England but Scotland captain Gavin Hastings earlier missed a simple penalty in front of the posts with the score tied at 6-6. It was a gruelling encounter short on thrills and Scotland have never been as close since.

1995, Cape Town: England 29 New Zealand 45

A harrowing afternoon for English rugby saw giant wing Jonah Lomu run riot at Newlands, scoring four tries including one in which he marauded through Tony Underwood, Will Carling, Mike Catt and Rob Andrew.

2003, Sydney: England 24 France 7
It was far from a classic because of the conditions but England eventually prevailed through the boot of Jonny Wilkinson, who landed three drop-goals and five penalties. Frederic Michalak managed just one of his five shots at goal for France.

2007, Paris: England 14 France 9

Josh Lewsey scored an early try for England but hosts France fought back through three Lionel Beauxis penalties to edge 9-8 ahead. But Wilkinson came to the rescue once again by landing a penalty and drop-goal in the last five minutes.

2019, Yokohama: England 19 New Zealand 9
England delivered possibly their greatest World Cup performance of all, routing the All Blacks with the scoreline failing to reflect their dominance. Manu Tuilagi crossed in the second minute, setting the tone, and George Ford kicked four penalties.

England’s World Cup semi-final clash with South Africa in Paris is the latest instalment of a rich history between the two nations on the biggest stage of all.

In their five meetings in the tournament, England have won only once ahead of Saturday’s match.

Here, the PA news agency looks at their rivalry.

1999 quarter-final – Paris, France:
England 21 South Africa 44

England ran into an unlikely road block in the form of Jannie De Beer’s unprecedented haul of five drop-goals, which started landing when the game was finely poised. De Beer’s record for drop-goals in a match still stands 24 years later.

2003 group match – Perth, Australia:
England 25 South Africa 6

A tight game was ultimately settled in the 63rd minute when Will Greenwood crossed after Lewis Moody had charged down a clearance, enabling England to extend a lead that was only 12-6 on the hour mark. England went on to lift the Webb Ellis Trophy.

2007, group match – Paris, France:
England 0 South Africa 36

England’s first World Cup defeat since 1999 – also against South Africa – was a calamity with the Springboks leading 20-0 against opponents who never threatened the line. A barrage of kicks and forward muscle overwhelmed England.

2007, final – Paris, France:
England 6 South Africa 15

England rebuilt following their pool debacle and gave a far better account of themselves in a tense final that saw wing Mark Cuteo touch down only for the try to be controversially ruled out because of a foot in touch.

2019 final – Yokohama, Japan:
England 12 South Africa 32

A week after demolishing New Zealand in sensational fashion, England were overpowered and contributed to their own downfall by making a series of errors. Eddie Jones’ side did not fire a shot and endured a harrowing evening at the scrum.

Jack Welsby is determined to banish the memory of last year’s Rugby League World Cup semi-final defeat to Samoa when he leads out England for the first of three Test matches against Tonga in St Helens on Sunday.

The 22-year-old said he was “surprised and humbled” to be handed the captaincy in the absence of George Williams, who failed in his appeal against a two-match ban he picked up in Warrington’s play-off defeat earlier this month.

It continues a steep career trajectory for the Saints star, who made his international debut in the crushing opening World Cup win over the Samoans, before suffering with his team-mates as they slid to their agonising loss to the same team in the last four.

“I’m very excited and humbled,” said Welsby. “When Waney (England coach Shaun Wane) came up and told me I was surprised, especially with some of the senior blokes we’ve got in that dressing room.

“To be leading them out on Sunday afternoon is going to be a big thing for myself and my family. Nothing really trumps being England captain, no matter where it is, but there is also the added bonus of it being in St Helens.”

With the exception of a routine 64-0 win over France in April, Sunday represents Welsby and England’s first opportunity to right the wrongs against top-level opposition, whose squad includes two current Saints team-mates in Will Hopoate and Konrad Hurrell.

Welsby told to the PA news agency: “If we’re completely honest with ourselves, maybe there was a bit of complacency in the semi-final because we’d been putting some big scores on teams and we thought we were better than we were.

“It was the worst feeling I’ve ever had on a rugby field, and if you don’t learn lessons from days like that, you never will. I’m pretty sure after what happened last year, you’re not going to see the same mistakes against Tonga.”

Despite a stellar personal season which culminated in him being shortlisted for the Man of Steel award, Welsby endured another painful blow when his hopes of helping Saints to a fifth straight Grand Final triumph ended abruptly against Catalans Dragons in France.

Instead, he admits he forced himself to watch through his fingers as Wigan wrested the title against the French club, confirming that the domestic dominance he had experienced since becoming a first-team regular at the Totally Wicked Stadium in 2019 was at an end.

Welsby grimaced: “I did watch it, reluctantly. It was a tough watch, but I had friends and England team-mates involved in the match. Obviously we were very disappointed how it ended with Saints, but Wigan deserved it on the whole this year.

“I’m glad the England call-up meant my season wouldn’t end in France. Anywhere you get to pull on an England shirt it makes you immensely proud, and obviously being in St Helens in front of hometown fans will make it even more special.”

It is a mark of the importance placed by Wane in the series – which continues with subsequent matches at Leeds and Huddersfield – that five players currently based in Australia’s NRL have been flown over for the games.

Tom Burgess, John Bateman, Elliott Whitehead, Victor Radley and Dom Young could all feature in a line-up balanced between experience and youth, as Wane looks to begin the long build towards a prospective re-arranged 2026 World Cup in the Southern Hemisphere.

However, Wane must work without Williams for at least the first two games of the three-match series, as well as a number of high-profile injury withdrawals, including Welsby’s Saints team-mate Jonny Lomax and Wigan centre Jake Wardle.

“When you see the NRL players over here and the quality in the Tonga squad, you realise it’s time to get started,” added Welsby. “After everything that’s happened, I just can’t wait to pull the England shirt on again and rip right in.”

Having had a fairly successful taste of Formula Four (F4) action recently, Tommi Gore has developed an insatiable hunger for more, as he hopes to chart a fruitful career on the circuit.

Gore’s passion and, by extension, unflinching desire to make it big in motorsport is of no surprise given the fact that he comes from a proud racing family that has made its mark in local and regional racing. His father Douglas ‘Hollywood’ Gore is a multiple rally and Dover champion, while his grandfather, Neil, raced at Vernamfield.

And already the young Gore has a solid platform on which he can build, having competed in the final round of the Radical Cup in the United Kingdom, and the final round of the FIA Formula 4 CEZ Championship, over the past month.

At the Radical Cup event held at the Donington Park Circuit, Gore driving for the Rob Weldon-owned Raw Motorsports team, had a series of mixed results in qualifying, but capitalised on wet conditions to not only win in the final race, but also the Sunoco Driver of the Weekend award. 

“This was my first event outside of the Caribbean, and with only one other event in a similar Radical SR3, I know it was going to be difficult to adapt to this new track. But I saw the rain as an opportunity on the final day because I have always been confident in the rain even though I had never driven a Radical in the rain prior.

“So, it was an amazing experience and also great to place my stamp on the international scene and show the world that Jamaicans can be competitive in any genre of any sport that we are passionate about,” Gore told SportsMax.TV.

That performance was followed by the Formula 4 opportunity and while the call for Gore to journey to Hungary came at the last minute, the budding driver knew it was a no-brainer.

“Needless to say, I immediately booked the flight, called sponsors and emailed my professors to advise them that I would miss class,” Gore shared.

For Gore, it was the big break he had longed for, and as fate would have it, he performed beyond expectations.

The 18-year-old placed third in the second race of the weekend, as he staved off the challenge of champion Ethan Ischer and claimed the final podium spot. He also topped the Rookie class in each of his qualifying races and was later named top rookie for the weekend.

“Prior to that weekend I had never even sat in a Formula car let alone drive one, so the Jenzer Motorsport Team’s expectations were very low going in. But by qualifying, I was in the top four and was able to fight for a podium. I finished fourth overall in races one and three to finish out a very solid performance,” Gore shared.

“This was a jaw dropping opportunity, the professionalism of the team and preciseness needed to be on pace with the front runners was beyond imaginable; to only be two tenths of a second off the fastest lap by the final race was applauded by the team, especially knowing that I went up against drivers with two years in these same cars,” he added.

Though the end results were on point for the most part, Gore was not shy to admit that both outings in England and Hungary were mentally and physically draining.

In fact, he recalled that the last minute advise from his father, coupled with his stubborn determination to rise above challenges, as the fuel that drives his ambitions.

“Honestly, they (the races) were not easy; it was very physically and mentally challenging to be on my best performance to seize the opportunities presented. Fortunately, my dad has always been a large figure in my career, from watching his legendary battles with David Summerbell Jnr at Dover Raceway, to him giving me those last-minute tips while on the grid before a race,” Gore reasoned.

He also credits the likes of Peter Rae, Craig Lue, Collin Daley Jnr and Chris Issa for their role in moulding his career into what it is at present.

With his immense potential now clear for all to see, the jovial driver remains optimistic that he will reap the fruits of his labour in the near future.

“My personal goal is to become a paid driver for a racing team, whether that be in prototype cars such as the Radical or Formula cars such as the F4. So, I’ll keep putting in the work, showing what I can do and then let the rest sort itself out,” Gore ended.

Marcus Smith was ruled out of England’s World Cup semi-final against South Africa because of concussion, head coach Steve Borthwick has confirmed.

Smith has been replaced at full-back by Freddie Steward after he took a series of blows in the last-eight victory over Fiji that resulted in him finishing the match with a bandaged head and fat lip.

A tackle by wing Vinaya Habosi forced him to undergo an HIA which he passed, but he failed the subsequent return to play protocols and has been stood down for Saturday’s Stade de France showdown.

England have made two further changes to their starting XV with prop Joe Marler and lock George Martin coming in for Ellis Genge and Ollie Chessum respectively.

“Marcus was unavailable for selection due to the return to play protocols. He was ruled out earlier in the week,” Borthwick said.

“He took a knock in the game and passed the first parts of the HIA process, which meant he finished the game.

“Then there are subsequent parts of the HIA process and one part of that he did not pass. And then it was confirmed to me he was unavailable for selection.

“He is perfectly fine in terms of symptoms – he doesn’t feel anything. We’d expect him to be available for selection after this weekend. It’s right to reiterate that player welfare is critical and vital to us.”

Whether a fit Smith would have been retained at 15 is unknown, but it appears unlikely given the precision and variety of South Africa’s kicking game.

Smith offers a cutting edge in attack but Steward is one of the game’s most accomplished full-backs – ultra-dependable under the high ball, strong in defence and a key component of England’s kick-chase.

Captain Owen Farrell is aware of the aerial onslaught coming in Paris but is backing Steward to thrive.

“The thing about Freddie is everybody knows how good he is in the air, everybody knows what a fantastic player he is in general,” Farrell said.

“But it’s the want to do it, the want to be in those battles, the want to go and get the ball back for his team, the want to defuse what’s coming our way. He is one of the best in the world at it.

“The kicking game has been a massive weapon for South Africa for years and years now. They’ve progressed it and they go on with a lot of contestable kicks.

“We’ve done our work and we’ve come up with our plan to negate what we can from them but also looking to be able to attack ourselves.”

The adjustments to the tight five see Marler’s scrummaging prowess get him the nod ahead of Genge, with Borthwick noting that South Africa have the “best scrum in the world”.

Martin will bring physicality to the second row while Genge and Chessum will take their place in England’s answer to the ‘Bomb Squad’ – the heavyweight forward reinforcements that the Springboks summon from the bench.

South Africa this week rejected the suggestion that in their quarter-final victory over France they used HIAs to rotate forwards Mbongeni Mbonambi, Pieter-Steph Du Toit and Duane Vermeulen, enabling them to take a rest.

Director of rugby Rassie Erasmus has a reputation for taking an innovative approach to the laws and testing their boundaries, but Borthwick has faith in the officials to spot any mischief.

“We have got a match officials team that’s world class, led by Ben O’Keeffe,” Borthwick said.

“I am sure everybody around the pitch as well will have every bit of process in place. There is no issues there from our perspective.”

Francis Lee was described as “the life and soul of the game” as football paid its last respects to the former Manchester City and England forward.

The funeral service for Lee, who died on October 2 at the age of 79 following a battle with cancer, was held at Manchester Cathedral on Thursday morning.

Figures from across the sport were in attendance as well as family, friends, associates from other aspects of his varied life and fans.

Lee scored 148 goals in 330 appearances for City between 1967 and 1974, winning the First Division title, the FA Cup, League Cup and European Cup Winners’ Cup.

Along with Mike Summerbee and Colin Bell, he formed part of a great triumvirate for which the club became renowned.

He also played for hometown side Bolton, earned 27 England caps and ended his career with Derby, where he won another league title in 1975.

Additionally he ran a highly successful toilet roll business and went on to become a prominent racehorse trainer before a spell as City chairman from 1994-98.

In 1974 he scored a stunning goal for Derby against former club City, prompting one of English football’s most memorable lines of commentary from broadcaster Barry Davies.

“Interesting…very interesting!” said Davies as Lee picked up possession and took aim before finding the net and running off to celebrate. “Look at his face, just look at his face!”

Davies was among the mourners to pay tribute on a drizzly morning in Manchester.

“He was a wonderful player, the life and soul of the game,” said Davies. “He was interesting, very interesting!

“He was a character and brought character to the game. When I said, ‘Look at his face’, I had the feeling that he had an expression like a schoolboy who had just scored his first goal for his school team. It was wonderful.”

Others in attendance included Summerbee and Tony Book, the captain of the 1968 title-winning team.

Former Liverpool and Scotland midfielder Graeme Souness was also present, as were former City players Joe Royle, Asa Hartford, Peter Barnes, Alex Williams and Micah Richards.

Tributes were paid at the service that reflected his life at City, his time in the game and in business, and from his family. The address was given by the Ven David Sharples, Archdeacon of Rochdale.

Book, 89, said: “He was a top man. They don’t come any better. He was great in the dressing room, marvellous to be around. It’s very sad.”

Williams, who played in goal for City in the 1980s, spent 33 years in the club’s community department before retiring earlier this year.

He said: “Francis Lee was brilliant. He had Manchester City at heart. He came to us from Bolton and took like a duck to water.

“A brilliant man – he loved the club and supported the club when we needed him.

“We’ve got our neighbours across the city who have their trios and ours was brilliant too – Lee, Bell and Summerbee. They’ll never be forgotten at Manchester City.”

Ben Stokes has declared himself ready for action in England’s must-win World Cup clash against South Africa, after missing the first three games of the campaign through injury.

Stokes’ comeback could not have come at a better moment for a side whose title defence is on the rocks after a shock defeat to Afghanistan left them with a single win to their name.

The charismatic Test skipper suffered a hip injury during England’s warm-up week in Guwahati and has been sidelined ever since, but has given himself the green light to face the Proteas in Mumbai on Saturday.

Speaking before a training session at the Wankhede Stadium that will double up as a final vigorous fitness test, Stokes told BBC Radio’s Test Match Special: “It was a frustrating little niggle to get before the tournament but I have worked very hard to get back to where I am and making myself ready to be available for selection.

“We have had a few days off since the last game and first training session here in Mumbai. I’ll give it a good push but, yes, I think everything is pretty good. I am in a good place.”

It may be tempting to view Stokes as a saviour riding to the rescue – a role he has performed plenty of times over the course of his career, not least in the 2019 World Cup final – but he distanced himself from the idea.

Responding to the weight of expectation that will follow him on to the field, which has only grown with England’s struggles so far, he said: “I deal with it pretty easy to be honest, because I know I am one person in a team sport.

“No one looks to one person in this team to inspire them or anything like that. It is not the case that if I do come in then all of a sudden we are going to do well. It is just one of those things that gets spoken about a lot but I don’t read into too much.

“Everyone that walks out on to that field for England is a match-winner and can do something individually that can win us a game. We just need to tone it down a bit on me coming back in.”

Andrew Strauss was dropped for England’s Test tour of Sri Lanka on this day in 2007.

The then 30-year-old Middlesex opener missed out on the three-match series just one month after he was given a year-long central contract by England.

Chairman of selectors David Graveney noticed Strauss’ dip in form but backed the batter to fight for his place, saying: “Andrew hasn’t performed to the level he can do in terms of play.

“He’s extremely disappointed, understandably, and it would be strange if he wasn’t.

“But he’s a fighter and we believe he will come back into the frame very quickly.”

Strauss made an impressive start to his international career, making scores of 112 and 83 against New Zealand on his Test debut in 2004 after he replaced the injured England captain Michael Vaughan, becoming only the fourth man to score a century at Lord’s on debut.

Strauss scored 126 in South Africa the following winter, becoming only the seventh Test player to record a hundred in his first match at home and away.

He went on to captain both England’s Test and limited-overs teams, but his form dipped through 2007 and he was dropped from the Test team after playing 43 matches.

Strauss earned a recall to the side for the 2008 tour of New Zealand and worked his way back with a career-best 177 at Napier.

Following Kevin Pietersen’s resignation, Strauss was appointed captain on a permanent basis for the 2008–09 tour of the West Indies and led England to a 2-1 Ashes victory over Australia the following summer.

The win saw Strauss join Mike Brearley and Len Hutton as the only England captains to win the Ashes both home and away, and he led England to a 4-0 win over India in 2011 to climb to the top of the Test world rankings.

Strauss announced his retirement from cricket in August 2012 following his 100th Test, at the age of 35, making 7,037 Test runs at an average of 40.91. He was knighted in September 2019.

Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali could face a lengthy playing ban after it was reported he has admitted to breaching betting rules.

Tonali, signed by Newcastle from AC Milan for £55million in July, is being investigated by the Italian Prosecutor’s Office and Italian Football Federation “in relation to illegal betting activity”.

The 23-year-old was one of several players named in an Italian football betting probe last week and on Wednesday Juventus midfielder Nicolo Fagioli was given a seven-month suspension by the FIGC on Tuesday for breaching betting rules.

Newcastle confirmed in a statement on Wednesday the player was being investigated.

The club said: “Newcastle United can confirm that Sandro Tonali is subject to investigation by the Italian Prosecutor’s Office and Italian Football Federation (FIGC) in relation to illegal betting activity.

“Sandro is fully engaging with the investigation and will continue to cooperate with all relevant authorities.

“He and his family will continue to receive the club’s full support.

“Due to this ongoing process, Sandro and Newcastle United are unable to offer further comment at this time.”

Tonali scored in the Magpies’ opening-day 5-1 home win against Aston Villa and has made six further Premier League appearances.

It has been reported that Tonali admitted at a hearing on Tuesday to betting on matches involving his former club Milan.

Tonali and Aston Villa forward Nicolo Zaniolo, on loan from Galatasaray, last week returned to their clubs from Italy’s training camp after it emerged they were being investigated.

Italy team-mate Fagioli was given a seven-month ban on Tuesday by the FIGC for breaching betting rules.

He had five months of a one-year ban suspended and was fined 12,500 euros (£10,848), while he agreed to a therapy plan of at least six months to tackle his gambling problem, the FIGC announced.

Jonny Bairstow is relishing his role in a rare World Cup double as England and South Africa prepare for high-stakes battles on the cricket pitch and the rugby field within a matter of hours on Saturday.

Bairstow will be leading from the front in Mumbai, where his side look to put their creaking title defence back on track against the Proteas, before attention turns to events almost 4,500 miles away in Paris and the Rugby World Cup semi-final between England and the Springboks.

Bairstow is a huge rugby fan and was even invited to address the England squad ahead of last year’s autumn international against Argentina at Twickenham, chatting to the squad for over an hour before observing training.

Now he hopes to set the tone for a day of English celebrations by the time Steve Borthwick’s men kick off.

“I think it’s going to be a great spectacle, it’s going to be a great day for both nations,” he said.

“They’re two extremely proud nations, whether that’s on the rugby front or the cricketing front, two teams on both sides that are very passionate about playing for their countries and are excited about playing for their countries.

“You’ll have people in South Africa, I’m sure, having a few brandy and Cokes and a couple of braais (barbecues), and you’ll have a few in England popping down the pub and watching – any excuse for them to just pop down there!

“It will be great – and hopefully both results go our way.”

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Bairstow can only directly impact one of them, of course, and the importance of his role at the top of the batting order is shaping up to be a key one.

Defeats to New Zealand and Afghanistan, either side of victory over Bangladesh, have put England firmly on the back foot and cranked up the stakes on their visit to the Wankhede Stadium.

Head coach Matthew Mott has called for more aggression in the first 15 overs of both innings and Bairstow has the track record and firepower to oblige.

But he is clear that swinging blindly for the fences is not on the cards, with conditions in India calling for more nuance.

“I don’t see anyone else in the world going out and scoring at nine runs an over. You look at India, they don’t go out and just go balls to the wall in the first 10 and they’re the host nation,” he said.

“They don’t just go out and go from ball one. So the importance of the first 10 is to yes score quickly, but also score in a way that’s sustainable over a long period of time, because we’re not playing a T20 game, we’re playing a 50-over game.

“Playing cricket in India compared to playing cricket in England is different. There’s different styles that work all around the world. I don’t think there’s one thing that fits all.”

While England are licking their wounds after being upset by the Afghans, South Africa are nursing a similar blow to their pride after defeat the Netherlands. That has added another layer of intrigue to the clash as both sets of players desperately try to reset the narrative.

“We know it’s a big game, we know they’re a strong nation and they’ve been playing well, but we also know now they’re coming off a loss as well,” Bairstow said.

“That was a great result to wake up to. But we’re actually just focusing on ourselves. That’s what we do.

“The confidence is there – it’s unwavering. There’s no lack of belief within this group. It isn’t something that’s been questioned one bit.”