Boks bash past England
The Springboks got their test series against England off to a winning start with an impressive 22-17 in Durban on Saturday.
The score looks too close for comfort. The score is misleading, for South Africa were much the better side. When England scored it was against the run of play.
The Springboks were not great in the first half but they played by far most of the half in the England half, and in the second half their dominance was greater.
And yet there was nagging thought that the Springboks could be suffering from Bullmania where a team can enjoy 70% possession and territory and lose the match, as the Bulls did a week ago. But it did not happen.
England did well at the tackle. They got stuck in lower and harder and in greater numbers. The Springboks' used the Bulls' delaying tactics. One of the changes in the second half, especially when Ruan Pienaar came on, was to abandon Fabian tactics for speed of action.
It had been a miserable day in Durban – rain, hail even and wind, but mercifully the evening was pleasant enough. The ground was not full – just some 43 052 spectators in a ground holding 50 000 thousand. The crowd stood in silence to the memory of Koos Beukes, the former Natal coach and such a fine man. He organised a symposium for 80 coaches on Wednesday evening and went to the podium to speak when he suddenly dropped dead at the age of 67.
Morné Steyn kicked off and the pack with its three new caps went into action. At the first line-out they threw to new man Eben Etzebeth and at the second to new man Juandré Kruger.
Early on Bryan Habana ran in electric counterattack. He had other similar runs in the match, the most incisive back on the field and also one of the very best defenders.
Etzebeth was penalised at a tackle and from 45 metres Owen Farrell goaled. 3-0 after 6 minutes, after which England went back to their home territory.
Habana chased a high kick and Willem Alberts picked up the ball to charge ahead but England's new man, Tom Johnson, brought him down. In this fast raid several England players were offside and Morné Steyn goaled. 3-all after 14 minutes.
Morné Steyn did not have the best of nights with the boot. He missed a (long-range) penalty and two conversions. Then in the second half with the score only 11-6 François Hougaard tapped a penalty slap in front of England's posts, though the situation seemed to hold no chance of scoring. The Springboks could have done with an extra 10 points.
Hougaard had a sharp break. He gave to Pierre Spies but another England new man Joe Marler won a turnover and South Africa were forced to battle to survive further down the field.
Bulky Ben Morgan burst ahead, Marcel Coetzee was penalised at the tackle and Farrell goaled. 6-3 after 26 minutes.
Jean de Villiers thrust ahead, several English players were offside. 6-6 after 29 minutes. That was the half-time score.
South Africa looked livelier and more intent at the start of the second half. De Villiers and Alberts made ground, Jannie du Plessis burst close to the line and the Springboks went right to Morné Steyn who got past Mouritz Botha of England (sic) and scored a try. 11-6 after 48 minutes.
Hougaard tapped a penalty in front of the posts, Habana had another electric burst and Ruan Pienaar came on for Hougaard.
The Springboks were on the attack. From a defensive England scrum they molested Morgan and England hung on to survive. For some reason they did not kick the hard-won ball out. François Steyn gave to Habana and off he went. The Springboks went right. Kruger gave to JP Pietersen who gave a perfect pass to De Villiers who scored. 16-6 after 60 minutes.
From the kick-off the Springboks missed the ball but Ben Foden grabbed it and darted off. Patrick Lambie stopped him but the Springboks were penalised then and two minutes later, and each time Farrell goaled. 16-12 after 65 minutes.
But the Springboks were back on the attack, Manu Tuilagi was offside and Morné Steyn made it 19-12.
Muscular Tuilagi's was posed as a threat to the Springboks but in fact he made no headway while his opposite number did make a big contribution to the game.
Paul Doran-Jones was penalised at a scrum 22-12 with three minutes to play.
Suddenly England burst into life. They went down the field and then did so again, till they were close on the left and then on the right Foden scored a try with a soaring dive two minutes beyond the 80-minute mark.
Man of the Match: Four Springboks stood out – Jean de Villiers, powerful Bismarck du Plessis, lively, hyperactive Bryan Habana and our choice of Man of the Match – big Willem Alberts who did everything that could have been expected of him, on defence and attack.
Moment of the Match: Jean de Villiers's try and the build-up to it.
Villain of the Match: Nobody at all.
Scorers:
For South Africa:
Tries: M.Steyn, De Villiers
Pens: M.Steyn 4
For England:
Try: Foden
Pens: Farrell 4
Teams:
South Africa: 15 Zane Kirchner, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Jean de Villiers (captain), 12 Francois Steyn, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Francois Hougaard, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Willem Alberts, 6 Marcell Coetzee, 5 Juandré Kruger, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Bismarck du Plessis (vice-captain), 1 Tendai Mtawarira.
Replacements: 16 Adriaan Strauss, 17 Coenie Oosthuizen, 18 Flip van der Merwe, 19 Keegan Daniel, 20 Ruan Pienaar, 21 Patrick Lambie, 22 Wynand Olivier.
England: 15 Mike Brown, 14 Chris Ashton, 13 Manu Tuilagi, 12 Brad Barritt, 11 Ben Foden, 10 Owen Farrell, 9 Ben Youngs, 8 Ben Morgan, 7 Chris Robshaw (captain), 6 Tom Johnson, 5 Geoff Parling, 4 Mouritz Botha, 3 Dan Cole, 2 Dylan Hartley, 1 Joe Marler.
Replacements: 16 Lee Mears, 17 Paul Doran-Jones, 18 Tom Palmer, 19 Phil Dowson, 20 Lee Dickson, 21 Toby Flood, 22 Jonathan Joseph.
Referee: Steve Walsh (Australia)
Assistant referees: Alain Rolland (Ireland), Simon McDowell (Ireland)
TMO: Iain Ramage (Scotland)
By Paul Dobson
