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England boss Steve Borthwick has fiercely defended his players from criticism following his team’s Rugby World Cup win over Fiji on Sunday.
The Red and Whites fought back to win 30–24 to boost their chances of glory in France.
Tries from Manu Tuilagi and Joe Merchant, as well as some excellent kicking from Owen Farrell, helped England win the match late on.
They will now face South Africa in the next round in a repeat of the 2019 final, which England lost in Japan.
England star Owen Farrell’s brilliant performance helped his team defeat Fiji and reach the semi-finals of the Rugby World Cup.
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Some gave England a chance of reaching the semi-finals ahead of the tournament, especially given their mixed form in the warm-up matches.
And Borthwick is well aware of this, with the 44-year-old praising his team for the way they performed against Fiji.
“I don’t really care what other people think about us, I care about the development of the team,” he said, after his team originally had a 14-point lead.
“I thought the players were fantastic, the whole team worked hard to get that result.
“You have to give Fiji a lot of credit after the performance, they did great at the World Cup and I’m glad we found a way to win that game.
“For most people we were in control, there was a spell in the middle of the second half where they scored back-to-back tries and they are the only team in the world that can do that – but I was pleased with the performance of the players after that. Handled it.
“A lot has been written about these players and what I see is a group that can handle these opportunities and rise to the occasion.
“It’s been a great week for us, it’s been a great part of the world to prepare, but Paris is a bit special so we’re looking forward to it.
“We don’t forget that there are a lot of people who said we will not get out of the group and there are a lot of people who said we will lose tonight and I am sure we will be eliminated again.
“But this team is determined to succeed.”
Borthwick also praised the England fans for the support they have given his team so far in the tournament.
“What our team did was find a way to get back on the scoreboard and handle it in a mature smart way,” he said.
“Fiji is always capable of doing that, we saw that a few weeks ago and the England team learned a lot from it.
“You saw some very good rugby from both sides in that game today, I’m particularly pleased with how we finished the game.
“The thing that stood out to me was the incredible support we got, a lot has been written about the support we got.
“What I see is the England support right behind this team and we definitely feel that.”
Farrell is a divisive character.
The England star was humiliated before the match against Fiji and it started at the expense of the popular George Ford.
But Borthwick has no doubt that the 32-year-old is a vital asset to his team and praised his No. 10, saying: “He is an incredible leader and player.
“He thrives on the biggest moments and he led the team brilliantly today, with all 33 players being part of the preparation.”
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England boss Steve Borthwick has praised the support his side have received following their Fiji Rugby World Cup win
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England star Ben Earl also spoke after the game.
And he praised his team’s performance against Fiji, insisting they deserved to progress at the expense of their opponents.
“I’m absolutely over the moon and it hasn’t quite sunk in yet,” he said. “I’m so proud of the boys – the staff, the whole team.
“At one point it felt a bit shaky, but I think the experience shined in the end. I’m glad to have contributed and I can’t wait for next week
“We thought the last time we played them they played us so physically defensively that we had moments we didn’t like to look back on, but today we’ll be a little happy to look back on it. “It’s a testament to the work we’re doing.”
