England captain Owen Farrell insists pride is his overriding emotion despite his side’s last-gasp World Cup semi-final heartache against South Africa – as he declares the future is ‘bright’
- England were just minutes away from reaching the Rugby World Cup final
- Handre Pollard’s late penalty broke the hearts of Owen Farrell’s battling side
- Captain Farrell insisted pride was his overriding emotion despite the defeat
- Latest Rugby World Cup 2023 news, including fixtures, live scores and results
Owen Farrell was beaming with pride in Paris after suffering last-gasp World Cup heartache – and then declared the future is bright for the England rugby team.
The England captain was just a few minutes away from leading out his side in a World Cup final only for Handre Pollard’s late penalty to secure South Africa’s passage.
Farrell, who had kicked all England’s points in the 16-15 loss, said: ‘My over-riding feeling now is how proud I am of this group. How proud I am of what we’ve done over the past five months.
‘The fight we’ve shown today and effort we put in. The sheer will at times today was outstanding and I hope we made everyone proud back home as well.’
The 32-year-old, one of seven players over 30 in Steve Borthwick’s squad, may have played his last World Cup but he thinks this team has laid a strong platform.
England captain Owen Farrell was beaming with pride despite his side’s World Cup heartache
Handre Pollard’s late penalty saw South Africa book their spot in the final in dramatic fashion
‘This is definitely the last World Cup for some people, but one thing I do know is this team has got a bright future,’ he said. ‘There is a lot to come from this group.’
And Farrell’s positive outlook was shared by head coach Borthwick, who had somehow transformed England from a team who were a pre-tournament laughing stock into a side three minutes from reaching the global showpiece.
‘In that 23, we have seven players aged 25 or younger,’ he said.
‘That is the most of any of the semi-finalists so we have a great blend of experience and young players. We are disappointed but immensely proud of these guys and we’ll build going forward.
‘We have a very smart group of players that are learning very quickly because we have had to do it very quickly.
Head coach Steve Borthwick shared Farrell’s positive outlook after transforming his team
Farrell believes there is more to come from England’s squad though changes are expected
‘The opposition have had four years and we have had four months. I asked the players to approach the training differently and they have embraced that.
‘We thought we were going to win tonight and we came here believing we would win. The players deserve enormous credit for that.
‘I think the tens of thousands of England fans watching here tonight and the millions watching at home will be very proud of their team.’
Relieved South Africa captain Siya Kolisi also praised England’s display, saying: ‘It was ugly today. But that’s what champions are made of. I give all credit to England, they worked hard.
‘Coach Steve and Owen, they pulled themselves together and showed who they are. They are not a team to be taken lightly.’
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