Rugby World Cup: Anyone’s now says England star Ben Earl

Earl’s side secured a mouthwatering semi-final showdown with defending champions South Africa this Saturday (8pm) after defeating Fiji 30-24 in Marseille.

Tries from Manu Tuilagi and Joe Marchant as well as 20 points from Earl’s Sarries clubmate and England captain Owen Farrell was enough to see off the resilient Southern Hemisphere outfit and avenge the 33-30 World Cup warm-up defeat at Twickenham in August.

But South Africa will be keen to repeat their 2019 final triumph over the Red Rose after overcoming hosts France 29-28 in Paris.

Eben Etzebeth’s converted try and a penalty from Handre Pollard with 10 minutes left secured victory for the reigning champions and a return to Stade De France despite Thomas Ramos scoring a late penalty for Les Bleus.

The 25-year-old Earl, who played alongside fellow Sarries Jamie George, Elliot Daly, Maro Itoje, Billy Vunipola and Hackney-born Courtney Lawes, regarded the Fiji victory as one of the best games he has played in.

“That is one of the best days of my career,” the number eight told BBC Radio 5 Live after one particularly barnstorming run.

“I’ve not had a feeling like that at the end of the game, just huge relief!

“When I got smoked from behind that brought me down to earth quickly. I’m so pleased for the group and certain individuals. We owe it to them to keep playing another couple of weeks in the England shirt.

“I want to make the most of playing with Courtney Lawes, Owen Farrell and Dan Cole. These guys are greats of the game, never mind just English rugby.

“After we played Fiji at Twickenham we got told we wouldn’t get out of the group but now we are in the semi-final, one of the best four teams in the competition. It is anyone’s game now.”

Farrell gave huge praise to his teammate, adding: “He’s obviously growing and growing as a player but that’s no surprise to me.

“Being his team-mate for a long time now, you see how hungry he is and seeing how much he wants the ball and wants to get involved when the game matters.

“I’ve seen that for Saracens for a while now and we’re seeing it here. It’s a whole squad performance but he certainly played a big part of it.”

Farrell is looking forward to Saturday’s ‘big knockout game’ with the Springboks, who have lifted the prestigious Webb Ellis Cup three times to England’s one and only success in 2003 when they beat hosts Australia 20-17 after extra time in Sydney.

“The team has done an excellent job over the group stages and now we’re in a big knockout game,” he added.

“The effort of the full squad has made it such an enjoyable week and made it a week we’ve all got together and that will continue now into this coming semi-final.

“We’ll prepare the way we’ve have been doing for the past six weeks and we’ll enjoy the big occasion in this big week and we’ll attack it.”

Argentina will expect to have Sarries duo Juan Martin Gonzalez and Lucio Cinti in their line-up when they face three-time winners New Zealand in the other semi-final on Friday (8pm).

The Pumas eliminated Wales, who fielded Nick Tompkins, 29-17 in Marseille as the All Blacks ended the hopes of pre-tournament favourites Ireland with a 28-24 win.

Both semi-finals will be broadcast live on ITV.