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Not always in sport do you get a shot at redemption and successfully taking advantage of that opportunity is even rarer sports
England’s pack, and their front row in particular, will have had four years of sleepless nights about that early November evening in 2019 sports
In the 2019 Rugby World Cup final, England were decimated by South Africa’s power up front, as the brilliance of a scintillating semi-final win over New Zealand was quickly replaced by the humiliation of a 32-12 thumping sports
The Springboks, then as now, pride themselves on their physicality and brutality at the breakdown, the set-piece and in open play sports
Yet on a rainy night in Paris four years on, England’s pack fronted up, set the platform in a thrilling World Cup semi-final and earned their redemption arc sports
Yet it still wasn’t enough sports
This time, albeit by one point rather than 20, the result was the same – England’s players slumped on the turf in despair while their opponents revelled in victory sports
The Springbok celebrations were more muted this time, understandably so given there is one more crucial match against the All Blacks standing sports between them and their ultimate goal, but the English heartbreak was the same, even if the journey to get there was vastly different sports
In Yokohama, South Africa won a scarcely believable 11 scrums to England’s three, including six scrum penalties, as the English eight were splintered time and again sports
Dan Cole became the fall guy for that embarrassment – the tighthead prop, supposedly renowned for his scrummaging, forced to play 77 minutes after Kyle Sinckler’s early injury and being obliterated by the combination of Tendai ‘Beast’ Mtawarira and Steven Kitshoff sports
The fact that Cole and Joe Marler, who came off the bench early in the second half that day, were selected by Steve Borthwick to start this revenge game precisely because of their scrum prowess will have surely given them a surge of confidence sports
And the fact they not only survived, but thrived, in the front row this time around will have been sheer vindication sports
Borthwick entrusted the duo to paint an early picture of scrum parity to referee Ben O’Keeffe and they delivered, providing the base that led to multiple first-half penalties from the trusty boot of Owen Farrell sports
Cole and Marler helped ensure scrum parity early on but that faded once the replacements came on (AFP via Getty Images)However, as the game wore on, Borthwick’s decision started to become prescient for the wrong reasons sports
As Sinckler and Ellis Genge came on as prop replacements, the Springboks own bomb squad from the bench – led by Ox Nche and Vincent Koch – started to dominate at scrum-time sports
Each engagement started to become eerily reminiscent of 2019 and it was eventually a scrum penalty on halfway that led to Handre Pollard’s decisive, game-winning three-pointer with two minutes to go sports
It felt almost unfair on England’s big men given that the pack, as a whole, had more than held their own in other facets sports
Of the 13 England forwards who played some part in that 2019 final, eight appeared in this last-four clash and stamped their mark all over a first half that was by far England’s best 40 minutes under Borthwick sports
Maro Itoje was a lineout fiend, stealing a Springboks throw-in on halfway and putting doubt in the head of Bongi Mbonambi, whose crooked throw in his own 22 gave Farrell his first penalty goal of the day sports
A new face from four years, George Martin, justified his surprise second-row selection ahead of incumbent Ollie Chessum on just his fourth Test start as he brilliantly marshalled England’s maul defence sports
If Boks lock Eben Etzesports beth is world rugby’s best maul disruptor, then he may have witnessed first-hand the emergence of a new challenger to that crown sports
Martin caused havoc as England improbably won three consecutive maul turnovers from attacking South African lineouts in the first half to frustrate their much-fancied opponents sports
Pollard ultimately kicked the winning penalty, from a scrum infringement (PA Wire)The celebrations from the likes of Itoje, Jamie George and Ben Earl as those penalties and free-kicks were earned by the pack showed just how important this part of the gameplan was sports
It began putting clear doubt in Springbok minds, as the worried tone from skipper Siya Kolisi when he discussed matter with referee O’Keeffe sports betrayed sports
The English tactic of throwing bodies in to contest every ruck relied on the diesel engines of the forwards and they delivered by dominating collisions and allowing the aerial bombardment strategy that followed to be effective sports
But ultimately, despite a gameplan executed as well as it possibly could have been, the gap in quality sports between the sides proved too much to overcome sports
South Africa adjusted, Pollard came on for Manie Libbok to dictate proceedings with his metronomic boot and English heartbreak ensued sports
There was no shame in a one-point defeat from a semi-final that was much closer than most expected and England’s pack should feel redeemed from the nightmare of 2019 sports
But that won’t make this semi-final hurt any less sports
Perhaps 2027 will give them an opportunity to avenge a new pain sports
More aboutEngland RugbySouth Africa rugbyRugby World CupDan ColeJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesComments1/3England pack earn World Cup redemption but suffer new heartbreakEngland pack earn World Cup redemption but suffer new heartbreakCole and Marler helped ensure scrum parity early on but that faded once the replacements came on AFP via Getty ImagesEngland pack earn World Cup redemption but suffer new heartbreakPollard ultimately kicked the winning penalty, from a scrum infringement PA WireEngland pack earn World Cup redemption but suffer new heartbreakDan Cole was England’s fall guy in 2019 but held his own four years on AP✕Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this articleWant to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today sports
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As often was the case amid an American society embedded in racism in the 1980s, Muhammed Ali put it best sports
Advising black racing driver Willy T Ribbs, the people’s champion made his point in no uncertain terms: “There are Blacks in my sport sports
But there are no Blacks in your sport sports
“They’re going to want to kill you sports
”Yet for all the death threats, discrimination and abuse, Ribbs had long decided that the only option was to meet the uphill battle head-on sports
He made history in 1986 when he became the first Black driver to test an F1 car sports
Five years later, he was the first to race in the Indy 500, one of the world’s most famous events sports
But on the course of that journey, Ribbs faced it all sports
Don’t let me tell you though; let the man himself sports
“Of course, there were death threats, the n-word,” he reflects, in a slow but deadpan fashion that tells you the wounds have long since healed sports
Instead, the metaphorical bruises are worn with pride sports
“But I enjoyed it sports
It didn’t make me mad, it was fun sports
I was going to dish out what they were dishing out to me, it never scared or intimidated me sports
I actually enjoyed it because it was motivating sports
I was never going to play the victim, that was not Willy T Ribbs sports
”Now 68, Ribbs is an ambassador for Formula One, raising awareness for diversity and equality sports
A role given a matter of months after his riveting biopic movie, Uppity, was released in 2020 sports
So titled because that was his nickname in motorsport circles – “and he loved it” sports
But to this interview, he’s late sports
And he apologises, quipping: “Race drivers are never late, you know! Or they’re not supposed to be…”Son to William “Bunny” Ribbs, an amateur racer himself, Willy’s career path was set in stone from day dot it seems sports
It was the racing way or the highway sports
Ribbs faced an avalanche of racism and abuse throughout his career (Getty)“I was born in this sport,” he tells The Independent, from his home in Texas sports
“I watched it from three years old when my dad was racing, watching the likes of Jim Clark and Graham Hill sports
That’s all that was discussed in the family sports
We didn’t discuss any other sport sports
“I was lucky, I think sports
At nine years old, I knew what I wanted to do and I knew what my career path was going to be sports
Most kids that age don’t know what the hell they’re going to do, but I did sports
And I didn’t want to be an amateur at it – I wanted it to be a profession and I wanted it to be Formula One sports
”He learned his craft, in the UK, racing alongside future F1 world champion Nigel Mansell in Formula Ford in the mid-1970s sports
He raced in Nascar and the Trans-Am Series, later on, too sports
But his F1 calling, in ’86, came in the Portuguese town of Estoril sports
Bernie Ecclestone’s Brabham team – “Bernie has always been good to Willy T Ribbs” – gave the American the chance to buck the trend and become a true trailblazer sports
But the tag was not something he felt comfortable with at the time sports
Ribbs made history in an F1 test in 1986 and in the Indy 500 in 1991 (Getty)“All that mattered was I thought of myself as a race driver,” he says sports
“I had two responsibilities: to myself and to my team sports
For those who record social history, that’s their job [to say trailblazer] – but I’m not going to carry that weight on my shoulders sports
“Sure sports
I was a role model because I was doing something no other Black kid had done sports
And great, if that’s the category they want to put me in and how they want to document it sports
But for me? It was about going fast sports
”It was a mindset of not bowing to the status quo, embodied most especially in the late 20th century by Ali sports
“What I admired about him the most was not his sports boxing skills,” Ribbs says of Ali sports
“What I admired about him was his resolve as a man, not to be squashed, manipulated or controlled sports
Ali said: ‘You have to let them know that you can’t be killed, there’s nothing they can do to you, and then they’ll leave you alone for a while sports
’”Now in motor racing, the baton has been passed on to seven-time Formula One world champion and the sport’s only Black driver Lewis Hamilton, whom Ribbs is full of praise about sports
“Lewis Hamilton, after seven world titles and more victories than any other human being, gets unfairly targeted,” insists Ribbs sports
“If you can equate it to Tiger Woods, what did Tiger Woods do for golf? He broadened the audience sports
The attention went off the chart sports
That’s exactly what happened in F1 – Lewis Hamilton has been Formula One’s Tiger Woods sports
“He’s a very kind man sports
He’ll let it roll off, turn the other cheek – I wasn’t that way sports
He deals with it and in a lot of cases it’s unfair sports
Then again, he is in an environment which was not nearly as brutal as I was dealing with sports
Willy T Ribbs was treated differently sports
”The third-person references point to a man who is now comfortable in his own skin; in the significance of the struggle – and what it means to many around the world sports
And despite a sport notoriously still dominated by white men, progress is being made sports
“One thing I love about Formula One is not only is it evolving commercially around the world, it’s evolving socially,” he says sports
“When F1 hired me, I asked them: ‘What made you make this call?’“They said: ‘We watched your film and we thought you’d be the perfect person for inclusion and equality in Formula One sports
’“I said: ‘Well, you called the right guy’ sports
”More aboutMuhammed AliLewis HamiltonBlack History MonthFormula 11/3F1 icon Willy T Ribbs: ‘I was never going to play the victim’F1 icon Willy T Ribbs: ‘I was never going to play the victim’Ribbs faced an avalanche of racism and abuse throughout his careerGetty ImagesF1 icon Willy T Ribbs: ‘I was never going to play the victim’Ribbs made history in an F1 test in 1986 and in the Indy 500 in 1991Getty ImagesF1 icon Willy T Ribbs: ‘I was never going to play the victim’‘Sure sports
I was a role model because I was doing something no other Black kid had done sports
But for me? It was about going fast’ Getty✕Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this articleWant to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today sports
SubscribeAlready subscribed? Log inMost PopularPopular videosSponsored FeaturesGet in touchContact usOur ProductsSubscribeRegisterNewslettersDonateToday’s EditionInstall our appArchiveOther publicationsInternational editionsIndependent en EspañolIndependent ArabiaIndependent TurkishIndependent PersianIndependent UrduEvening StandardExtrasAdvisorPuzzlesAll topicssports BettingVoucher codesCompareCompetitions and offersIndependent AdvertisingIndependent IgniteSyndicationWorking at The IndependentLegalCode of conduct and complaintsContributorsCookie policyDonations Terms & ConditionsPrivacy noticeUser policiesModern Slavery ActThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inCloseUS EditionChangeUK EditionAsia EditionEdición en EspañolSubscribe{{indy sports
truncatedName}}Log in / Register {{#items}}{{#stampSmall}}{{/stampSmall}}{{#stampClimate}}{{/stampClimate}}{{#stampPremium}}{{/stampPremium}}{{title}}{{#desc}}{{desc}}{{/desc}}{{#children}}{{title}}{{/children}}{{/items}}Indy100Crosswords & PuzzlesMost CommentedNewslettersAsk Me AnythingVirtual EventsVouchersCompare✕Log inEmail addressPasswordEmail and password don't matchSubmitForgotten your password?New to The Independent?RegisterOr if you would prefer:SIGN IN WITH GOOGLEWant an ad-free experience?View offersThis site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy notice and Terms of service apply sports
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