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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Ugo Monye

England can see their semi-final path and Marcus Smith has chance to light the way

Marcus Smith in training
Marcus Smith is able to execute in the wider channels, which could be vital against Fiji. Photograph: Dan Mullan/Getty Images

If England lose to Fiji and find themselves on a plane home next week they will never forgive themselves. That is no disrespect to Fiji but they have such an opportunity to reach a World Cup semi-final which they cannot afford to pass up.

To be in England at the moment, the noise and the buzz around the match doesn’t feel like a World Cup quarter-final but the players have done what they’ve needed to do. They’ve won all their games and dropped only two points along the way. Victory against Fiji would be validation of what they’ve done so far and a demonstration of how far they’ve come.

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