Owen Farrell beamed with pride in Paris after his latest World Cup heartbreak – then declared the future is bright for the England rugby team.
The England captain was just minutes away from taking his side’s lead in a World Cup final, but Handre Pollard’s late penalty ensured South Africa secured passage.
Farrell, who kicked all of England’s points in the 16-15 defeat, said: ‘My overriding feeling now is how proud I am of this group. How proud I am of what we have done over the past five months.
“The fight we showed today and the effort we made. The willpower was excellent at times today and I hope we have made everyone proud at home too.’
The 32-year-old, one of seven players over 30 in Steve Borthwick’s squad, may have played in his last World Cup but he believes this team has laid a strong platform.
England captain Owen Farrell beamed with pride despite his side’s World Cup heartache
Handre Pollard’s late penalty saw South Africa dramatically book a place in the final
“This is definitely the last World Cup for some people, but I do know one thing: this team has a bright future,” he said. ‘A lot comes from this group.’
And Farrell’s positive outlook was shared by head coach Borthwick, who had somehow transformed England from a team that was a laughing stock before the tournament to one that was three minutes away from reaching the global showpiece.
“In those 23 we have seven players aged 25 or younger,” he said.
‘That’s the most of any semi-finalist, so we have a great mix of experience and young players. We are disappointed, but extremely proud of these guys and we will continue to build in the future.
‘We have a very smart group of players who learn very quickly because we had to do it very quickly.
Head coach Steve Borthwick shared Farrell’s positive outlook after transforming his team
Farrell believes more can come from the England squad, although changes are expected
‘The opposition has had four years and we have four months. I asked the players to approach training differently and they embraced that.
“We thought we were going to win tonight and we came here believing we were going to win. The players deserve a lot of 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 performance, 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 held themselves together and showed who they are. It’s not a team to be taken lightly.”