Boks' Blunders hand England a win
MATCH REPORT: England kicked off their November Test Series with a narrow 12-11 win over South Africa at Twickenham on Saturday.
The one-point victory for England was a surprise right up to the final whistle and South Africa were left to rue missed opportunities, woeful line-outs and poor handling errors.
One point!. The missed conversion, not a hard one, could have won it. A penalty attempt that hit the outside of the upright with four minutes to play could have won it. Instead England’s four successful penalties beat a try and two successful penalties.
That’s the game. The side scoring more points than the opposition wins the match. And England did that. Points count – not opportunities, not more possession and territory,not being the better team, not a debateable referee’s decision. Points. They are what count.
In the first half South Africa had 76% of possession and the penalty count was 6-2 to South Africa. England had a player sin-binned and yet the score was only 8-6. England kicked over both its penalties. And when they were called on to defend, they did it manfully, winning six turnovers to nil.
South African blunders included many knock-ons and the loss of two five-metre line-outs when they opted to kick out instead of getting six points for penalties. In the second half they lost another two five-metre line-outs. All four were overthrown. That is not international standard, not the way to win a Test match.
Perhaps it should be regarded as self-defeat.
Sadly an uncontroversial match ended in controversy when, with time already over and the Springboks looking to attack, Owen Farrell put his shoulder into André Esterhuizen slamming him to ground. The referee referred to the TMO, watched the action and decided that it was too unsure to consider a penalty when any ordinary man would have said that the knob of Farrell’s right shoulder hit the front of Esterhuizen’s upper body with some force and that there was no effort to grasp him, though the referee decided there was enough of a grasping attempt. And so he blew the final whistle.
It’s hard to claim that the referee’s non-decision cost South Africa’s the match; they did that on their own. Certainly, on the evidence of the match there was no certainty that they would have scored.
South Africa kicked off and spent three-quarters of the half in England’s half. When Kyle Sinckler was penalised for being offside and Pollard goaled. 3-0 after 6 minutes.
The referee played advantage in the Springboks’ favour and Pollard kicked a diagonal to the right. Sibu Nkosi leapt up high and brilliantly caught the ball but England stopped the Springboks millimetres short.
Maro Itoje was penalised and sent to the sin bin. The Springboks eight were playing against seven English forwards but they preferred the line-out to the scrum. They mauled, and Malcolm Marx and Ivan van Zyl got within centimetres of the England line. England were penalised again and South Africa opted for another line-out. This time Marx overthrew and England came away with the ball.
Two kicks by Ben Youngs took England into Springbok territory. A knock-on from a kick landed in Pieter-Steph du Toit’s hands and the energetic Springbok was penalised. Farrell goaled. 3-3 after 20 minutes.
Three knock-ons and an overthrown five-metre line-out blotted out chances for the Springboks to score.
South Africa won a tighthead at a scrum and attacked. Damian de Allende twice forged ahead before quick, short passes by Siya Kolisi and Warren Whiteley ended up with Nkosi who beat Jonny May and surged round for a try in a reasonably good position. 8-3 after 33 minutes.
After a shallow kick-off, England were in South African territory when the visitors’ backs went offside and Farrell kicked a 42-metre penalty. 8-6, the half-time score.
Changes happened early in the second half. England brought on 29-year-old prop Ben Moon for his first Test. Then Eben Etzebeth limped off to be replaced by RG Snyman, and Tom Curry limped off to be replaced by Zach Mercer.
Two things remained constant in this half – Springbok knock-ons and lost line-outs. But England changed. Having contained the Springboks in the first half England’s confidence surged, more so after Elliot Daly kicked a 46-metre penalty to give England the lead at 9-8.
Farrell dummied and broke and England attacked down the left till South Africa won a turnover.
Both sides made more changes.
There were two counterattacks that were exciting. First Pollard collected a kick and broke free. Then he kicked downfield and Daly did in like manner but with interpassing and 14 phases by England.
But when George Kruis was penalised at a tackle, Pollard goaled and with 14 minutes to play South Africa led 11-9.
England attacked down the left and looked about to score when, close to the line, Esterhuizen tackled Brad Shield who lost the ball forward into in-goal. That gave South Africa a five-metre scrum, but a great double effort by the England pack earned their side a penalty which Farrell goaled. 12-11 with 8 minutes to play.
With four minutes to play England were penalised in front of their posts, but Pollard’s kick glanced off the outside of the upright and stayed out.
In those last eight minutes South Africa attacked again and again and England tackled again and again till Farrell’s dubious tackle gave England the ball and the victory.
Man of the Match: There were candidates on both sides – Elliot Daly, Owen Farrell and Ben Youngs of England, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Damien de Allende, and our choice Sbu Nkosi on attack and defence and with lots of energy, the match’s only try-scorer.
Moment of the Match: Elliot Daly’s penalty goal from a long way out that gave England the lead and lifted their spirits as victory seemed possible.
Villain of the Match: Nobody, not even enthusiastic Maro Itoje of the yellow card.
The scorers:
For England:
Pens: Farrell 3, Daly
For South Africa:
Try: Nkosi
Pens: Pollard 2
Yellow card: Maro Itoje (England, 15 minutes- cynical foul)
Teams
England: 15 Elliot Daly, 14 Jack Nowell, 13 Henry Slade, 12 Ben Te’o, 11 Jonny May, 10 Owen Farrell (co-captain), 9 Ben Youngs, 8 Mark Wilson, 7 Tom Curry, 6 Brad Shields, 5 George Kruis, 4 Maro Itoje, 3 Kyle Sinckler, 2 Dylan Hartley (co-captain), 1 Alec Hepburn.
Replacements: 16 Jamie George, 17 Ben Moon, 18 Harry Williams, 19 Charlie Ewels, 20 Zach Mercer, 21 Danny Care, 22 George Ford, 23 Chris Ashton.
South Africa: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Sbu Nkosi, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Aphiwe Dyantyi, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Ivan van Zyl, 8 Warren Whiteley, 7 Duane Vermeulen, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Steven Kitshoff
Replacements: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Thomas du Toit, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Lood de Jager, 21 Embrose Papier, 22 Elton Jantjies, 23 André Esterhuizen
Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia)
Assistant referees: Jérôme Garcès (France), Ben Whitehouse (Wales)
TMO: Olly Hodges (Ireland)
