"Disrespectful" - England fans' treatment of Owen Farrell in Marseille slammed by coach
Rugby NewsMonday, 16 October 2023 at 13:12
In the face of prior criticism, Owen Farrell justified his position as the preferred choice over George Ford at fly-half with a stellar performance in Sunday's 30-24 triumph against Fiji.
He earned the man-of-the-match title, sealing the victory with a pivotal drop-goal and penalty, contributing a total of 20 points.
Richard Wigglesworth, the attack coach, believes that the captain's contributions often go unrecognised.
“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 about 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.”
Meanwhile, two England supporters were ejected from the Stade Velodrome following a fight in the stands.
Footage on social media appeared to show one group of fans tussling with another dressed as Admiral Nelson with one supporter thrown down multiple rows of seats.
No arrests were made.
A statement from World Rugby read: "Following an isolated incident in the stadium, security acted swiftly to eject two fans from the stadium. No further complaints were filed."
Five players who underperformed in the World Cup quarter-finals
We take a look at five players who failed to perform in the quarter-finals of the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.
#1. Andrew Porter (Ireland)
Irish Independent 5/10: "Pinged twice in the opening minutes, once at the breakdown and once in the scrum. Indeed, he drew the whistle from Wayne Barnes in two of the game's first three scrums. Running dialogue with the ref but seemed frustrated throughout."
Planet Rugby 3/10: "His illegalities at the scrum finally caught up with him as Wayne Barnes continually penalised Porter for not driving straight. However, it was his needless infringement in the opening minute which set the tone."
RUCK 5/10: "Penalised in an early scrum, as his hips were too wide in the pack. A big hit on Will Jordan on the 20th phase, as Ireland defended strong. Couldn’t support Doris in time for his carry, as the number eight was isolated, and Porter couldn’t stop Savea’s turnover. Penalised twice more in the scrum for the same offence, in a performance he would want to forget in the pack. "
#2. Ryan Elias (Wales)
Rugby Pass 5/10: "Elias wasn’t entirely accurate with his lineout throws and didn’t stand out in open play."
Planet Rugby 4/10: "He threw his weight around well on defence and was strong with ball in hand, but three poor lineout throws, from five, cost Wales promising attacking opportunities in the first half and was replaced at the break because of it. "
Wales Online 4/10: "Up to this point, he had been one of the unsung heroes of Wales' World Cup campaign but three overthrown lineouts."
#3. Marcus Smith (England)
Telegraph 5/10: "Lord he was in the wars. Whether having Semi Radradra bouncing him in the tackle, Josua Tuisova ragdolling him, or going for an HIA, Smith showed huge heart. Jury out whether he will stay at full back for the semi-final."
Rugby Pass 6.5/10: "Picked for just his second start in the full-back position, he worked well with some early ball but got caught on a run from inside his own half with England 8-0 up and that turnover resulted in a missed Fijian shot at the posts. Soon took a smack to the head from the yellow-carded Vinaya Habosi on a carry in the lead-up to the Marchant try. Returned to resume playing a very capable part in the win despite the need for further on-pitch running repairs."
Planet Rugby 6/10: "As Steve Borthwick predicted, Fiji didn’t test his aerial skills, but Smith didn’t really cut loose. Conceded one penalty when trying to counter, but he did mop up well at times and that extra pair of eyes helped Owen Farrell."
Evening Standard 6/10: "Rode out one extremely risky break and dealt with a broken nose to add just enough poise to England’s back-field set-up."
Mail Online 5/10: "Battered and bruised in the contact area, with blood pouring down his face. Tackling in the backfield very different to front-line defending as he found out the hard way."
#4. James Lowe (Ireland)
Rugby Pass 3.5: "Lowe had one of his worst performances in an Irish jersey. Lowe dropped the ball behind him and over the sideline with his first touch, and this practically summed up the wing’s off night at Stade de France. Lowe wasn’t just off, he was ineffective in practically all facets of the game."
Sunday World 5/10: "Was never a game where he could bring his trusty left boot into play, Lowe kept on looking for work but this was a game where his considerable attacking talents ultimately had little bearing on the outcome."
#5. Josh Adams (Wales)
RUCK 5.5/10: "Strong opening tackle to set his tempo in defence. Spilled the pass from North, which could have led to a try. Good presence on Argentina’s back three under the high ball, beut ended his half with an unnecessary shot on Cubelli. Lucky to avoid a yellow. Continued to jump in front of high ball catchers, and repeatedly lucky to be let off."
Rugby Pass 4/10: "Had a quiet first half, one lowlight being a bungled pass with the Argentinian line beckoning, another being a braindead push on Matteo Carreras, which was lucky only to be a yellow. A day to forget for the Cardiff winger."
Wales Online 5/10: "Gave away a needless penalty on the stroke of half-time to gift Argentina points, and, even more crucially, momentum. Chased hard but the ball rarely came his way. A bad day at the office."
TRENDING
LATEST NEWS
LATEST COMMENTS
Loading
