Mighty Springboks too strong for valiant England

For England, a familiar tale of mistakes and missteps; for South Africa, another day at the ‘Boks office.

- HARRY LATHAM-COYLE

These are two sides at opposite poles in terms of confidence and certainty and after a contest of blood, thunder and ill-will, the final scoreline told a predictable story. England were valiant but never likely to be victorious – these champion Springboks, even not right at their best, are simply too good.

The heavy bell tolled again for the hosts and Steve Borthwick, a fifth defeat on the spin continuing a sorry saga that is beginning to become formulaic.

England threatened a shock for 60 minutes but eventually fell away, beaten and beaten up and left to yet again rue their mistakes and missteps.

This might have been the best performance of a wretched November for Borthwick’s side but there could be no repeating the feat of the 2012 conquerors of the All Blacks; the best men’s rugby team on the planet proved themselves exactly that. Some credit can be given to the home side for sticking in the fight; Rassie Erasmus’s side unable to land a knockout blow. But there was too much quality and ferocity in the South African ranks to be denied, from Cheslin Kolbe and his fizzing feet to the collection of colossi in the forward pack.

In this sort of game, on this type of day, you have belief that they will find a way.

“To come to Twickenham and win by nine points and say we aren’t happy with the performance would be arrogant,” Erasmus said. “It wasn’t fantastic, but we are content we beat them today.”

A win over the world champions may not have proved panacea to all of England’s ills but it most certainly would have lifted the gloom around Twickenham. The animosity between these two has rankled in each and every contest since the 2019 World Cup. That acrimony only increased by last year’s semi-final at the Stade de France and the fallout from the allegation of a racial comment that followed.