Boks win another Twickers arm-wrestle

MATCH REPORT: South Africa scored their third successive win over England, and their fourth in the last five matches, as they kept alive their dream of an unbeaten year-end tour.

The Springboks outscored their rivals by four tries to two for a 29-20 win at Twickenham on Saturday.

It was not pretty and coach Rassie Erasmus will certainly be concerned about the team’s discipline – 14 penalties and a yellow card.

They will also have serious concerns about the injury suffered by star prop Retshegofaditswe Nche, who limped off on the half-hour mark with a deep cut to his knee.

The positives – apart from the deserved win – were the guts and fight the Boks showed at times when England had the momentum going their way.

Captain Siyamthanda Kolisi admitted the Boks were not at their best.

“It took us a while to get into the game,” he said of England’s fast start, adding: “We showed some fight.

“It is all about the will and understanding that you have to go into dark places to get the win.”

After wins over Scotland and England, South Africa now heads to Cardiff to face Wales in the hope of completing the first unbeaten year-end tour for more than a decade.

* To recap all the drama, CLICK HERE!

* The article continues below …

England made an energetic start and some quick hands saw Ollie Sleightholme sprint over on the left, following some great skills by Marcus Smith. The flyhalf added the conversion for a 7-0 lead after just four minutes.

Smith also produced the next significant play, a kick that put the Springboks back inside their own 22 and forced them into making errors.

On the 10-minute mark scrumhalf Grant Williams produced a magical moment of individualism – breaking from a ruck, beating several defenders and sprinting over for the Boks’ opening try. Manie Libbok levelled the scores, seven-all, with the conversion.

A breakdown penalty against Pieter-Steph du Toit saw Marcus Smith reclaim the lead in the 15th minute – 10-7.

Du Toit went from villain to hero in a matter of seconds. From the restart, Eben Etzebeth and then Du Toit charged down attempted clearances by the England flyhalf, with Du Toit scoring a try from his follow-up chase. Libbok was wide of the mark with the conversion attempt – 12-10.

Two penalties in quick succession allowed the Boks to set up a line-out five metres from the England line.

After a maul and a few phases, Libbok produced a sublime cross-field kick that saw Cheslin Kolbe dart inside the defence and over for the third try. Libbok added the conversion – 19-10 after 22 minutes.

England bounced back with a power play of their own – Sam Underhill barging over after a couple of forward raids. Marcus Smith added the conversion to narrow the gap to just two points, 17-19 after 27 minutes.

On the stroke of half-time Libbok – following a breakdown penalty won by Jasper Wiese – pushed his attempted kick at goal wide of the uprights.

That left the scoreboard unchanged, 19-17 in favour of the visitors, at the break.

The Boks got out the blocks super quick in the second half – in the 43rd minute Aphelele Fassi ran into space and put Kurt-Lee Arendse over in the left corner. However, the TMO ruled that Fassi’s pass was forward and scratched off the try.

England, having regained the momentum, saw a sweetly-timed Marcus Smith play to create space for Henry Slade on the left – the centre strolling over. The TMO again came into play and found a neck roll by Maro Itoje on Malcolm Marx and ruled the try out.

A penalty for obstruction allowed Marcus Smith to take a shot at goal in the 52nd minute – the flyhalf
putting the hosts back in the lead, 20-19.

It now turned into a scrappy arm-wrestle, with England having the better of the exchanges, as the Boks conceded a succession of penalties that allowed the home team top turn the screws.

However, a breakdown penalty that went in favour of the Boks saw replacement Handre Pollard kick a 50-metre penalty that bounced off the crossbar and over for South Africa to regain the lead, 22-20.

That was followed by a powerful surge from Damian de Allende, who raced clear and put Cheslin Kolbe into space for his second try. Pollard stretched the lead to nine points, 29-20, with the touchline conversion.

The penalties continued to mount against the visitors, with referee Andrew Brace speaking to Siyamthanda Kolisi about the Boks ‘cleaning up’ their act.

That did not help[, as in the 69th minute Gerhard Steenekamp was yellow-carded for repeated infringements – the replacement prop illegally collapsing a maul.

That was followed by more penalties and another chat to Kolisi about repeated infringements.

It was the Boks’ defence that saved the day, winning a couple of crucial breakdown penalties.

With just four minutes remaining, the Boks – from a rare penalty that went their way – Pollard set up a line-out inside the England 22. He followed it up with a drop-goal attempt, as they now pinned England deep in their half.

It was another penalty at the breakdown that gave England territory and a late opportunity.

However, the Boks won a turnover and won another tight encounter against England.

Man of the match: The best England players were fullback Freddie Steward, with his aerial game, loose forward Ben Earl, winning crucial penalty turnovers at the breakdown, and flyhalf Marcus Smith with his tactical nuances and great game management. The Bok front row of Wilco Louw, Bongi Mbonambi and Retshegofaditswe Nche dominated the scrums, while Gerhard Steenekamp when he came on for Nche in the first half also added great value – despite his second-half yellow card. Among the forwards, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Jasper Wiese and Eben Etzebeth were the most productive. The Boks backs that impressed were Aphelele Fassi and Kurt-Lee Arendse with their aerial games, as well as scrumhalf Grant Williams with his breaks around the fringes. Our award goes to Springbok wing Cheslin Kolbe – not just for his two tries, which were invaluable, but his aerial game and stepping.

Moment of the match: This is simple. It was Cheslin Kolbe’s second try, on the hour mark, after a powerful surge from centre Damian de Allende. It turned out to be the defining and match-winning moment.

Villain of the match: This one goes to loathsome England lock Maro Itoje for all his neck rolls. He was lucky not to be carded, as he even had a warning from the referee.

The scorers

For England
Tries: Sleightholme, Underhill
Cons: Smith 2
Pens: Smith 2

For South Africa
Tries: Williams, Du Toit, Kolbe 2
Cons: Libbok 2, Pollard
Pen: Pollard

Yellow card: Gerhard Steenekamp (South Africa, 68 – repeated infringements, collapsing the maul)

Teams:

England: 15 Freddie Steward, 14 Tommy Freeman, 13 Ollie Lawrence, 12 Henry Slade, 11 Ollie Sleightholme, 10 Marcus Smith, 9 Jack van Poortvliet, 8 Ben Earl, 7 Sam Underhill, 6 Chandler Cunningham-South, 5 George Martin, 4 Maro Itoje, 3 Will Stuart, 2 Jamie George (captain), 1 Ellis Genge.
Replacements: 16 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 17 Fin Baxter, 18 Dan Cole, 19 Nick Isiekwe, 20 Alex Dombrandt; 21 Harry Randall, 22 George Ford, 23 Tom Roebuck.

South Africa: 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Grant Williams, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 RG Snyman, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Retshegofaditswe Nche.
Replacements: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Elrigh Louw, 20 Kwagga Smith, 21 Cobus Reinach, 22 Handre Pollard, 23 Lukhanyo Am.

Referee: Andrew Brace (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Chris Busby (Ireland), Eoghan Cross (Ireland)
TMO: Ben Whitehouse (Wales)

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