Ratings: Bleeding Boks victorious
It seemed as though half the Springboks were covered in blood by the end of the match in the brutal encounter with England.
The Boks struggled a little at the breakdown in the first half, but that was just about the only negative in the match.
All four new caps did a great job and South African rugby is well and truly alive and kicking.
A superb team effort and a winning start for coach Heynek Meyer in his tenure in the hot seat.
Timmy Hancox rates the Springbok players:
15 Zane Kirchner:
Not a great game for the fullback, who had a few aimless kicks and was left for dead by Chris Ashton in one attack. No surprise that the shepherd's crook came out at half-time to keep Kirchner on the sidelines.
4/10
14 JP Pietersen:
Had a quiet first 40 minutes, but then looked for work later on and made a difference getting involved whenever he could.
7/10
13 Jean de Villiers (captain):
The new skipper was outstanding and with a gash under his eye only a brave man would have suggested he go off. A brilliant try with great determination to get over the line and some genuine speed to burn Chris Ashton down the touchline. He also kept a close watch of the dangerous Manu Tuilagi and didn't allow him to break the advantage line.
9/10
12 Frans Steyn:
Has the rare ability to straighten the line, which is crucial for a quality inside centre. Carried the ball strongly and is a very clever defender cutting down the space for the opposition in the middle of the park.
7/10
11 Bryan Habana:
A fantastic break early on and he had couple weaving runs past defenders to worry the English defenders. Some brilliant chasing of high kicks to pile the pressure on and a good defensive effort as well.
9/10
10 Morné Steyn:
A solid game at flyhalf, controlling the game pretty well with some accurate kicking out of hand. Not a great goal-kicking effort in tough conditions, but no need to panic for the experienced No.10.
6/10
9 Francois Hougaard:
The feisty scrumhalf was very lively on defence in particular and cleared the ruck quickly when he could. Still things to improve on, but a good game.
7/10
8 Pierre Spies:
Had a decent match making a few good tackles and played fairly tight, but didn't carry the ball as well as you'd expect from a man with his muscular frame and speed off the mark.
6/10
7 Willem Alberts:
Where has he been all season! Willem Alberts put in a great physical performance and carried the ball strongly building up a head of steam. He could still work on his handling a little, but a top-notch effort from the battering ram.
8/10
6 Marcell Coetzee:
A wonderful debut from the fearless youngster, but gave the side some great momentum with his countless ball carries at first receiver and also chopped down many Englishmen with his tackling.
8/10
5 Juandré Kruger:
A solid start for the new master of the line-out and he showed a lot of promise filling Victor Matfield's boots.
7/10
4 Eben Etzebeth:
A robust physical clash from the youngster who looked good in green. He has a massive future and never shies away from the hard ugly work up front, earning the hard yards for his team.
8/10
3 Jannie du Plessis:
Some excellent scrumming and a great break in the middle of the field following the play well to be at hand.
7/10
2 Bismarck du Plessis:
A typically tough performance from the star hooker, who made a few turnovers and was cleaning out rucks brilliantly. One or two line-outs went astray, but overall a great match.
8/10
1 Tendai Mtawarira:
Slightly quieter by his standards, but the Beast was always on hand to clean out rucks and he did a great job of protecting the ball.
7/10
Replacements:
16 Adriaan Strauss: (On for Bismarck du Plessis – 65th minute)
Not long enough to be accurately rated
17 Coenie Oosthuizen: (On for Jannie du Plessis (blood) and then Tendai Mtawarira – 49th minute)
Some good work as a ball carrier, but it was his scrumming at loosehead that caught the eye with a few brilliant shoves.
7/10
18 Flip can der Merwe: (On for Eben Etzebeth – 59th minute)
Got involved in the rucks and did his job without making any errors.
6/10
19 Keegan Daniel: (On for Marcell Coetzee – 72nd minute)
Not long enough to be accurately rated
20 Ruan Pienaar: (On for Francois Hougaard – 56th minute)
Passed the ball pretty well and got the basics right, but didn't make a massive impact.
6/10
21 Pat Lambie: (On for Zane Kirchner – 40th minute)
Made a big difference after coming on and has the knack for turning up in the right place at the right time.
7/10
22 Wynand Olivier: (On for Bryan Habana (blood) – 31-40 minutes)
Not long enough to be accurately rated
