There was no missed penalty, or knocked on restart this time to direct fury at. England’s 29-20 defeat to South Africa was right down to shedding collisions, a number of errors and, essentially, not being nearly as good as South Africa. It was demise by a thousand cuts.
There is not any embarrassment in shedding to the Boks as they’re back-to-back world champions in spite of everything. However for all of the speak of England in search of a response after painful defeats to New Zealand and Australia, you noticed glimpses of the inside English fury and need to proper previous wrongs at Twickenham, however they have been second finest and easily could not match the precision and energy of the Boks. They confirmed ambition in assault, however it was the identical story of self-destructive errors inhibiting momentum.
It means England have now misplaced six out of their final seven matches, 5 on the bounce, and are of their worst run in six years. It isn’t precisely what Steve Borthwick and the pink rose chiefs would’ve envisaged once they got here into this autumn in search of this to be proof or course of relatively than a brutal expose of shortcomings, errors and exasperation.
It has been a far too acquainted story. And the fact is, a victory over Japan subsequent weekend is not going to deliver any gloss to this autumn.
“It’s extremely irritating, I really feel the frustration of the gamers,” Borthwick mentioned. “Whereas there may be a lot to be proud about, we wish to win video games. We put ourselves in positiosn to win the video games, however we do not convert them.”
England’s precision and self-discipline proved to be their undoing. Within the remaining quarter — their albatross — they tried and failed to seek out momentum. They’d alternative, twice kicking penalties into the Boks’ 22 with South Africa right down to 14 males after Gerhard Steenekamp was sin-binned, however each got here to nought.
First Luke Cowan-Dickie was whistled for a dummy lineout within the seventieth minute with England poised on South Africa’s five-metre line, and three minutes later England once more have been deep in Boks’ territory however coughed up a penalty. It should be so irritating for Borthwick watching this. It is virtually Sisyphean — they get so near the highest of the hill, however let one thing slip and have to start out once more.
In flip, the Boks did precisely what we knew they have been going to do. There have been few surprises. They have been onerous as granite up entrance, had a stable set piece, after which once they had time and house, they gave Cheslin Kolbe and Kurt-Lee Arendse the liberty to do what they fantastically do.
This wasn’t a classic Springboks efficiency, however it was emblematic of the formidable outfit they’ve moulded.
“We’re content material,” Rassie Erasmus mentioned. Siya Kolisi was distinctive within the back-row, Pieter-Steph du Toit was immense, and regardless of the odd error right here and there, and foolish penalties, they by no means actually regarded rattled. And as England acquired extra frantic within the remaining 10 minutes, the Boks regarded ever calmer.
England’s 4 modifications produced blended outcomes. Sam Underhill was combative at openside, and left his mark on the Boks, whereas Freddie Steward was stable underneath the excessive ball (as was Tommy Freeman). However Jack van Poortvliet did not deliver something additional to scrum-half and could have Eben Etzebeth in his nightmares — the big Boks lock charging him down twice early on.
It was the fourth change that produced the products early on as Ollie Sleightholme crossed for England after three minutes. It was a shocking transfer with Marcus Smith — England’s finest participant — faking a drop-goal, darting round Ox Nche and pinging the ball to Henry Slade, who put over Sleightholme.
Hope abound however eight minutes later the Boks responded by way of Grant Williams, who danced by way of the flailing arms of Ellis Genge and George Martin and round Steward to go underneath the posts. They doubled down on that with Du Toit crossing after 16 minutes, pouncing on an Etzebeth charge-down to attain. They then scored their third within the nineteenth minute as Kolbe lapped up aManie Libbok cross-kick and danced round Steward to attain.
It was wanting ominous, with Kolisi splitting English gamers in two, however within the twenty fifth minute Underhill went previous a comfortable deal with from Wilco Louw to burrow over. It was two factors within the Boks’ favour on the break, Twickenham expectant, hopeful, nonetheless.
Each the Boks and England had tries disallowed initially of the second half. Arendse’s effort was dominated out for a marginal ahead go, whereas Henry Slade’s effort within the forty ninth minute was chalked off for an Itoje neckroll on Malcolm Marx.
Smith chipped England again in entrance from a penalty, however then got here the Boks strangling the life out of the match. Handre Pollard nudged over a long-range penalty — bouncing it off the bar and over — and Damian de Allende went by way of England’s porous defence as Slade and Ben Earl missed him, to place Kolbe over. It was far, far too simple.
The Boks needed to climate the final 10 minutes with out Steenekamp, who was yellow carded, however even then, England could not land a punch. The bench made little influence, and the Boks have been left to proceed this outstanding run underneath Rassie Erasmus.
“We now have to recognise how good South Africa are,” Borthwick mentioned. “It’s important to be on the cash each second of the Take a look at match towards them.”
It leaves England with Japan on Sunday, after which simply over two months to plan for the Six Nations. In that point, they should deliver order to their assault, discover a solution to fine-tune defence, and work on a method of sustaining depth throughout 80 minutes. Far too usually they have been responsible of their very own downfall.
“We’ll work by way of this and we are going to ensure we can be higher coming by way of it,” Borthwick mentioned.
However we have been right here earlier than. Little errors are magnified and find yourself deciding matches. England are impatient to halt this shedding slide, however they’ve to seek out calm and readability when the stress is on. Borthwick will not lose his job anytime quickly and you’ll really feel his frustration, however till England play with full readability and discover a solution to eradicate these errors, then acquainted failings can be all too frequent.
