England rugby stars forced to take precautions in Buenos Aires ahead of World Cup semi-final

England rugby stars have been forced to take precautions in Buenos Aires ahead of the football World Cup semi-final between the Three Lions and Argentina.

Steve Borthwick's side are in Argentina ahead of their Nations Championship match on July 18.

His squad are preparing to watch the match from their team hotel, but have opted not to wear their national shirts in public.

The Rugby Football Union has not deployed extra security, but England lock Alex Coles insisted the squad have taken precautionary measures.

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He said: "I think, bearing in mind where we are and who we're playing with, we've been pretty sensible about not wearing our English shirts around too much.

"We had them all out in Liverpool and got a bit of a better reception than we might do here.

"I definitely love my football. I think there's a fair bunch of us that do. We watched the previous game after our game at the weekend, on in a rooftop bar in Liverpool, and it was very cool. Everyone was getting very excited.

"We're very proud to represent our country playing rugby, and I think that translates to real excitement around watching England in any sport, and World Cup fever it is sort of like no other with the football, isn't it?

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"It captures the imagination of the globe in a way that no other sport can.

"It's really special, and I think it's the sport that I grew up watching first before rugby and cricket; football was the thing I was obsessed with."

Borthwick's side are scheduled to fly to Santiago del Estero in northern Argentina tomorrow, with winger Tommy Freeman saying the players are ready for a backlash should the Three Lions win their World Cup semi-final in Atlanta.

Freeman said: "We'll see how hostile it gets. It's big for Argentina and us, and being here it's heightened massively. I think they'll probably be angry if we win, so Saturday could be a tough game.

"We know they're a passionate country. We are too, and they'll want to compete to the fullest, and we'll be ready for that."

Coles praised the way Thomas Tuchel has gone about his business so far, recollecting on his meeting with the German.

He said: "Personally, having briefly met Thomas Tuchel when he came into camp, it was really interesting to get a small chat and pick his brains and the way he thinks about the game.

"He's a pragmatist, but he's also very good at motivating his players. And I think you see how hard everyone works, and he's picked players that want to work for the team. I mean, very impressed.

"Like Elliot Anderson just works his socks off the whole game. Declan Rice, through injuries and illness, puts himself about.

"I think there's so much to be admired in that as a trait. And as an Englishman, you want to think that's something that's part of our national psyche, that sort of hard work, that determination, and then obviously the quality of [Jude] Bellingham and [Harry] Kane has just been there to top off, and [Bukayo] Saka as well, as an Arsenal fan, I shout him out.

"Having met Tuchel, he seems like a very honest guy, and I imagine they're all feeling ecstatic about the win, but they're all sort of determined to progress and get to the next round.

"And I'm sure they've had like an honest conversation and all in good heart, I think you can tell there's a positive vibe in the camp."

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