South Africa bounced back from their Murrayfield defeat this afternoon with a strong performance against England at Twickenham, winning 21-11 against a slightly lacklustre England side.
The first half was a little cagey and finished 6-6 with two penalties apiece from England’s Flood and South Africa’s Steyn.
In the second half, however, England showed yet again that they can switch off a little, defensively, as South Africa produced two tries, through Alberts and Mvovo, one of which was converted by Steyn.
England did score a late consolation try, through Foden, but only from an interception as South Africa were seeking to add polish to an already great performance. Mike Tindall got his attempted drop-kicked conversion horribly wrong despite being bang in front of the posts, meaning the final score was England 11, South Africa 21.
England could, and perhaps should have scored a try earlier in the second half, but South Africa were well worth their win with a solid performance, and much more discipline up front than they displayed a week ago. England, on the other hand, seemed a little short of attacking ideas, and were certainly found wanting defensively once more.
England need to cut out the lapses in concentration in defence, while South Africa have proved that they are a strong side if they can maintain their discipline up front and finish off the good work of their solid base.
Both sides will be a threat in next year’s World Cup, though England seem raw, and South Africa may suffer from ill-discipline when push comes to shove in the closest of matches. Both teams, therefore, present a fascinating and exciting prospect for rugby fans.
