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The curtain will come down on another Rugby World Cup for England when they face Argentina in Friday's third-place play-off.
It's not where the team will have envisioned themselves at around 10.35pm local time in Paris last Saturday, when they were on the verge of beating South Africa to reach a second straight World Cup final. It wasn't to be, however, and a raft of veterans will instead play their last World Cup minutes – or last Test minutes, for some – vying for bronze rather than gold.
Always one to look forward during his career, however, two-time former England international Topsy Ojo is more focused on what's to come rather than lingering on those soon-to-be ex-internationals. Some stars have already confirmed their Test retirement plans prior to the Pumas play-off, where the stakes will be infinitely lower than Saturday's decider between the Springboks and New Zealand.
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"I've actually been in camp talking to some of the England players and yes, this will be the last England game for a lot of those players," he told Daily Star Sport. "Courtney Lawes retiring from international rugby, Ben Youngs the same, and there might be one or two others who move on.
"It happens, but it is a huge opportunity for England to say goodbye to those guys, end their World Cup in a really positive fashion and almost kickstart that next generation coming through."
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As for whom has stuck out as Borthwick's 'breakout player' from the competition, Ojo won't be alone in selecting Ben Earl as his man of the moment. And the former Premiership poacher wouldn't be surprised if this signals a rebirth for the Saracens star, who was overlooked for some time on the international circuit.
"I think he's been phenomenal this World Cup," said the London Irish legend and club record try-scorer. "Obviously he has been capped previously, but I think this World Cup really established him as a core figure of the team.
"Look at his energy, his enthusiasm, but also his output as well. He's been involved in a lot of England's big, key moments, and that's something you can really grab hold of and take into the future."
England's rugby team will be aiming for glory in France, with Umbro supplying their kits for the tournament. It is the first time that the supplier have been handed the chance to produce the kits, with a traditional white home shirt emblazoned with the iconic red rose.
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It's difficult to disagree, and many Saracens fans might suggest the back-rower is merely reproducing the work he's performed at club level for some years now. It was Earl, 25, who ran half the length of the pitch to relieve England of the pressure they faced late on in the quarter-final win over Fiji, having also played the full 80 minutes in three of their four pool games.
Speaking of up-and-coming talent, it would be difficult to ignore the youngest player in England's squad. And while a certain full-back of the future didn't get the minutes he perhaps dreamed of, Ojo is confident the experience can act as a springboard for what's to come.
"Also someone like Henry Arundell, who started his World Cup campaign with a bang scoring five tries [against Chille], and if he gets more opportunities to learn, to grow and develop, England have a good future ahead of them. And it will be exciting to see what that looks like come the Six Nations."
It would be all too easy to get lost in what might have been for England, but Ojo is steadfast in his assertion Borthwick has performed a "really commendable" job in his first World Cup as coach. And while the Red Rose didn't flourish as many fans might have hoped in an attacking sense, he piled praise on the tactician for coming up with a blueprint that took them to a shock semi-final.
That being said, the onus is now on Borthwick to build upon that in the next World Cup cycle and show different shades to England's game. The home nation can afford to throw some caution to the win in Friday's farewell fixture, with fans hoping the next chapter in their history features a few more pages of optimism than witnessed in recent years.
"Now, the interesting thing will be what happens with this team going forward," Ojo continued. "What selection looks like for the Six Nations, and actually what style of play the team implements. Because the style of rugby they've shown in the World Cup was actually pretty apt for tournament rugby, but can you do that across a four-year cycle and still get the same rewards time and time again? I'm not so sure."
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