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England survived the most terrifying of final scares to overcome a clingy foe and book their place in the semi-finals of the rugby World Cup.<\/p>\n
After dominating for the lion’s share of the match, Steve Borthwick’s side came undone in the final stages and almost allowed Fiji in to steal it at the death, but for the divine intervention of a few inspired stars.<\/p>\n
Express Sport runs the rule over the player ratings.<\/strong><\/p>\n Marcus Smith<\/strong> – On the receiving end of some big Fiji hits.\u00a0 Tried his best to bring some spark to England’s attacking play, but was exposed at times.\u00a0 6<\/strong><\/p>\n Jonny May<\/strong> – Looked\u00a0 lively whenever the ball reached him. Important defensive contributions. 7\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Joe Marchant<\/strong> – Scored a first half try with a neat finish in one of his best performances in his time with England. 8\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Manu Tuilagi<\/strong> – Crashed over in the corner for the game’s first try. Powerhouse defensively too. 8<\/strong><\/p>\n Elliot Daly<\/strong> – Left foot useful for England and good in\u00a0 the air\u00a0 but struggled to make impact with the ball in hand. 6<\/strong><\/p>\n Owen Farrell<\/strong> – Under pressure to justify his selection, controlled game for large parts and even dropped a goal. 8<\/strong><\/p>\n Alex Mitchell<\/strong> – Put behind him a poor game against Samoa to deliver the controlled and pacy delivery needed by England. 7<\/strong><\/p>\n Ellis Genge<\/strong> – Lively in possession and strong in defence, he gave as good as he got against\u00a0 the Fijian giants. 7<\/strong><\/p>\n Jamie George<\/strong> – Knitted the forward effort together with another classy contribution. On the mark as ever with his lineout throwing. 7<\/strong><\/p>\n We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info<\/p>\n Dan Cole<\/strong> – Must have thought his England days were done after the 2019 World Cup final but four years on he is still doing his team-first thing. 6<\/strong><\/p>\n