Martin Sigren completes journey from Doncaster Knights to leading Chile against England at Rugby World Cup

He talked about leading Chile to upset wins over Canada and the United States to book a first ever place at rugby union’s top table.

He spoke of the journey his nation had been on, of the origins of professional rugby in Chile which at the time was just three years old.

He looked ahead to how he might feel when he belted out the Chilean national anthem for that first World Cup game in Toulouse 11 months into the future.

"It’s a military anthem so it’s one you have to scream,” he told The Yorkshire Post.

"In my case I try to sing it but also keep a balance because you don’t want to get too emotional.

"If you get too emotional that’s energy you’re wasting and I want all my energies focused on the field.”

And he wondered how he might feel when he lined up against England, as he will do in Lille today, for Chile's third game in Pool D of the Rugby World Cup.

A year ago he called it a huge opportunity and after going down fighting against Japan and Samoa, taking the lead in the latter game, that viewpoint has not changed as they take on Steve Borthwick’s union heavyweights.

“It’s a huge challenge,” Sigren told a press conference yesterday.

"There are very few opportunities one has to face a team with as much history as England and on a Rugby World Cup stage. We want to take advantage of it and enjoy it to the fullest.

“I think they are going to look to exhaust us emotionally and see if we give up, which will make it easier for them. That is what we want to fight and it is the most important challenge.”

Sigren, 27, a back-row forward, spent a year at Doncaster Knights, becoming the first Chilean rugby player to play professionally in England.

Because of his World Cup commitments and the fact Doncaster’s season in the second tier has already begun, he has not rejoined the Knights for this year in what was an amicable parting of the ways.

Given how well he has played, and his team-mates, offers from Europe are bound to follow this World Cup.

Of more immediate concern though is putting what he learnt in English rugby with Doncaster to good use in the red shirts of Chile today.

“From my experience and how obvious it can be seen from an English team, they try to wear you down a lot throughout the game, not just physically,” Sigren, who was educated in an English school in his home country, observed.

"But what I had to live there and know their strategies is also the emotional part, they are guys who are going to celebrate every small victory and they are going to look for that emotional wear and tear until they see if you give up and if it becomes easier for them.

"That is precisely what we want to fight and it is one of the most important challenges we have.

"Really being there fighting and in the battle for the 80 minutes, regardless of what the score is, really fighting for every ball until the last minute – that’s our goal.”

Chile head coach Pablo Lemoine insists his Rugby World Cup newcomers must embrace the biggest fixture in their history when they clash with England.

“We do not have opportunities to play against the tier one. To improve, we must take advantage of these opportunities,” said Lemoine.

“You have to play and enjoy it because it is surely the most important game in Chile’s history.

“England have a pragmatic, organised game. A lot of kicking game, a lot of strategy, with high-class players looking to counter-attack. I imagine a lot of aggressiveness in the forwards.

“We have been watching them, we saw their games with Argentina and Japan, and ultimately we will have to be intelligent and not commit penalties because it is an important platform for them. I hope we can accomplish that part of the plan.”

Los Condores, as they are known, have brought great colour to the French cities they have visited, and they have a loyal band of followers making the most of what Sigren hopes will be the first of many World Cup apprearances.

“They want to be here, to live it,” smiles Sigren.

"Our achievement has really drove everyone crazy back home.

"This is what we fought for when we were preparing for the (knockout game with) US. We were playing for the cultural change this could have on Chilean rugby.”