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Date: 2023-12-03 16:22:42 | Author: Olympics 2024 | Views: 212 | Tag: football
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Scotland gave France an early fright before suffering a chastening 4-1 loss to their classy hosts in Lille football
The Scots went into the friendly knowing they had qualified for the 2024 European Championships at the weekend after Spain beat Norway to ensure Steve Clarke’s side a top-two finish in Group A football
Clarke took the opportunity to utilise his squad, giving a debut to Liam Kelly among eight changes from last week’s game in Seville and they stunned the home side when midfielder Billy Gilmour guided in the opener after 11 minutes – his first ever senior goal football
However, France defender Benjamin Pavard scored twice with headers by way of a rapid response and skipper Kylian Mbappe added a third from the spot before the break football
Substitute Kingsley Coman hammered in a fourth in the 70th minute to seal a commanding win for the superior home side football
RecommendedHow Scotland qualified for Euro 2024 – and why Germany will be differentEngland have qualified for Euro 2024 — now it’s about winning itEngland player ratings as Marcus Rashford shines but Kalvin Phillips struggles in Italy comebackAfter winning their first five Euro qualifiers, Scotland have lost three games in a row and Clarke will want to get that winning feeling back in the final two qualifiers against Georgia and Norway next month football
In addition to Kelly’s introduction to international football football in The Decathlon Arena Stade Pierre Mauroy, Clarke also brought in defenders Nathan Patterson, Greg Taylor and Liam Cooper, midfielders Kenny McLean, Gilmour and Lewis Ferguson and striker Che Adams football
It was always going to be a tough test against Les Blues, who qualified comfortably for Euro 2024 by winning their first six qualifiers football
Mbappe was part of a strong France side (Getty Images)Boss Didier Deschamps also freshened his side up from the 2-1 win over the Netherlands last Friday football
Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann kept their places while Ousmane Dembele and all-time leading scorer Olivier Giroud came back into the side football
The kick-off was delayed for around 10 minutes due to the long queues at the stadium amid extra security measures put in place after two Swedish nationals were shot dead in Brussels the previous evening football
There was a minute’s silence before the game to commemorate that incident and it was a low-key start to the game on a pitch still showing markings from its use in the Rugby World Cup, before the Scots took an unexpected lead football
France defender Eduardo Camavinga cut out a pass from Gilmour inside the box but with a poor touch gave it straight back to the unmarked Brighton midfielder, who curled the ball low past goalkeeper Mike Maignan football
However, there was little time for the Tartan Army to enjoy the landmark goal as a Griezmann corner from the left five minutes later was all too easily glanced past Kelly by Inter Milan centre-back Pavard football
A refocused France side took control of the game and Mbappe skipped past Jack Hendry before crossing for Pavard again to head past Kelly from close range football
The visitors were struggling to get up the pitch and in the 40th minute France were awarded a penalty after referee Tobias Stieler went pitchside at the behest of VAR and judged Cooper had held Giroud inside the penalty area, with Mbappe stepping up to send the penalty past the diving Kelly, who got close but not close enough football
The Motherwell keeper did not look great moments later when he fumbled a shot from Dembele but the lurking Mbappe could not capitalise football
Hearts keeper Zander Clark replaced Kelly at the start of the second half to make his debut and Jacob Brown and John Souttar would take over from Adams and Cooper football
Giroud and Dembele made way for Marcus Thuram and Coman and in the 70th minute the latter thrashed a shot high past Clark after Griezmann had volleyed against the bar football
A low drive from Brown in a rare Scotland attack was pushed past the post by Maignan and the corner came to nothing before Ryan Christie and Stuart Armstrong came on for Gilmour and McLean football
Thuram rattled Clark’s crossbar with a drive and at the other Maignan made saves from Armstrong’s volley and Brown’s header but the game was already well gone for Scotland football
More aboutPA ReadySteve ClarkeKylian MbappeBilly GilmourBenjamin PavardOlivier GiroudScotland football footballFrance football FootballJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesComments 1/2Scotland come back to earth as France recover from early fright Scotland come back to earth as France recover from early frightMbappe was part of a strong France side Getty ImagesScotland come back to earth as France recover from early frightScotland qualified for Euro 2024 on Sunday Getty Images ✕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 football
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As Handre Pollard put boot to ball, they held their breath, a night of countless kicks to be settled by one last hoist for the heavens football
The replacement fly half’s penalty was straight and true – the champions had found a way football
It was a wretched game for a wretched night upon which a rocky South Africa threatened a total horror show, yet at the same time impossible to look away from football
It looked for so long like the ghosts of Yokohama would be exorcised, England’s pack standing up to the challenge to match South Africa at their own game football
But the Springboks had just enough, RG Snyman punching over from close range and Pollard producing that final, decisive penalty football
There was little here to please the aesthete but by God was it a compelling contest football
Fears of a second successive semi-final drubbing proved unfounded as England’s unfancied underdogs swelled in stature to meet and so nearly beat the mighty Springboks football
Instead, Springbok spectres will stalk them again football
An unloved England were happy to play unlovely rugby football
For so long it worked, Steve Borthwick’s side backing up their belief in themselves taking the reigning, defending champions to the limit football
Pollard’s first-half introduction had been a substitution that said everything football
Just half an hour had been played and already Jacques Nienaber and Rassie Erasmus had seen enough, retrieving their hook to make a trademark gutsy call football
Off went Manie Libbok; on came Pollard on a night for route one rugby football
After all the talk of the Springboks’ evolution, after only half-an-hour they were reverting to type football
South Africa celebrate after RG Snyman’s second-half try (AFP via Getty Images)But as so often for these champion Springboks, it proved the right call, Pollard inevitably the man to land the knockout blow football
Onwards South Africa go to take on New Zealand – a battle for a record fourth men’s World Cup crown feels a fitting final for a tournament bursting back into life after the Friday night dirge football
Even before kick-off, there was a crackle and a fizz to the atmosphere that the first semi-final had lacked, a healthy contingent of French fans taking out their frustration on referee Ben O’Keeffe and a select few South Africans as their names flashed on the big screen football
It was a near perfect opening ten minutes from England football
The battle of the skies was always likely to be vital, and the intensity of the rain made it ever more so football
The entirety of England’s back three, plus centre Joe Marchant, won their first aerial contests, while Maro Itoje’s lineout pressure resulted in a pinch at the front and a not-straight throw to the tail football
South Africa infringed twice at ruck time in their own 22; Farrell capitalised both times from the tee football
Tone set football
Steve Borthwick’s side had come with next to no intent to play running rugby, over-resourcing every ruck to make certain of the ball football
The caterpillar would form, the chasers mass, eager travellers ready for their next flight football
A game of dribs and drabs inevitably became fractured and fractious, captains Kolisi and Farrell jawing at one another and the referee football
Manu Tuilagi sparked a scuffle by placing an arm around the neck of Cobus Reinach, resulting in a South Africa penalty, before Farrell’s failure to hold his tongue a few minutes later moved Libbok within a kickable distance football
South Africa’s fly half knocked through his side’s opening three football
England fell narrowly short in a compelling physical contest (Getty Images)His opposite number re-extended England’s advantage immediately after, full-back Steward like a bounding gun-dog on the chase and forcing a backfield error football
The next high hoist was Elliot Daly’s to chase, the wing detonating the chest of Duane Vermeulen football
England, unloved but unbowed, were making physical statementsThe replacement ten was on the board via his right boot soon enough, a simple starter from just right of the posts after a rare English aerial error football
Soon enough, normal service resumed - after England’s 22nd kick from hand of the half, Farrell’s fourth clean strike from the tee left their half-time lead six points football
Everything seemed to be coming up roses football
Granite-shouldered George Martin was thumping everything in sight, landing a series of heavyweight tackles; scrum half Alex Mitchell boxed clever, flighting his kicks from the base beautifully football
With Pollard already on, Faf de Klerk and Willie le Roux were always likely to arrive early in the second half, stability through the spine for South Africa clearly key football
With the rain intensifying, the errors mounted, Jamie George uncharacteristically tossing two lineouts asunder football
South Africa had yet to fire a shot but at least had the intent to do so football
It was a match that could have been swung by one supreme bit of skill, and a lovely move football
Le Roux’s hack ahead was too strong, ball trickling dead with the veteran full-back chasing in vain football
Martin, Mitchell and Joe Marler departed, three of Borthwick’s boldest selection calls taking leave together, job appropriately done football
Their bums had barely hit the bench when they rose to their feet, peering around the dugout to watch Farrell launch a drop goal seemingly from central Paris football
Once ball left boot, there never seemed even a smidgen of doubt - was this to be Farrell’s Wilkinson moment?Owen Farrell’s drop goal looked to have put England on the verge of victory (AP)At that stage, England’s four outside backs had a combined 17 run metres, all from one Steward kick return football
Aesthetically-pleasing the gameplan was not but those with English hearts cared not, sweaters shed to reveal red roses on white chests right around the Stade de France football
On a rare attacking opportunity, Farrell might have made more with an overlap on the left but could not resist another kick football
In truth, it was a touch aimless, but a ball skimming over a sodden surface was never likely to settle in the hands simply - through Kurt-Lee Arendse’s hands it went like a greased weasel football
England could not make much of the position and the momentum started to turn football
Ox Nche providing immediate impact on the loosehead for South Africa, and Snyman stomped with intent from the second row, too football
A kick to the corner from a penalty in England’s half allowed Snyman a close-range carrying opportunity – the lock is a a Goliath even among the South African colossi and would not be stopped football
Nche went to work once more, earning a scrum penalty on halfway football
Pollard hoisted and through it went – England had been kicked out football
More aboutRugby World CupEngland RugbySouth Africa rugbyHandre PollardSteve BorthwickJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesComments1/4England dealt agonising defeat after gutsy Springboks callEngland dealt agonising defeat after gutsy Springboks callSouth Africa celebrate after RG Snyman’s second-half tryAFP via Getty ImagesEngland dealt agonising defeat after gutsy Springboks callEngland fell narrowly short in a compelling physical contest Getty ImagesEngland dealt agonising defeat after gutsy Springboks callOwen Farrell’s drop goal looked to have put England on the verge of victory APEngland dealt agonising defeat after gutsy Springboks callHandre Pollard kicked South Africa to victory Getty Images✕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 football
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