Top effort: JP Pietersen
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South Africa became the third nation from the south to prematurely wrap up their series after they edged England 36-27 in Johannesburg on Saturday.
Victory means that the third and final international between these two sides - at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium next week - is now a dead rubber.
It was a deserved win for the Boks as a first-half onslaught had journalists scrolling through the record books. It looked that worrying for England.
But credit to England as they rallied in the second 40 minutes, with scrum-half Ben Youngs' brace of tries acting as the catalyst to the visitors' cause.
From the kick-off it seemed it was the season for giving on Youth Day in South Africa as England gave their hosts five points on a silver platter when a ball went straight through the scrum on the visitors' five-metre. Spotting the vacant ball on the blindside was Willem Alberts, who backed up last week's man-of-the-match effort by opening matters on four minutes. But they could not make it 7-0 as Morne Steyn's kicking misery continued.
England had touched the ball only twice - and one of those times was from the kick-off - when the Springboks crossed again to cap a nightmare start for Stuart Lancaster's men. This time it was the brute force of hooker Bismarck du Plessis that did the damage, as he carried three tacklers with him towards the uprights. After confirmation from Television Match Official Iain Ramage, the try was easily converted by Steyn to make it 12-0 on nine minutes.
Promoted fly-half Toby Flood did put England on the board after Youngs was held back getting to a breakdown by flank Marcell Coetzee. But it only papered over the cracks in the leaky defence, which didn't take too long to be breached for a third time. On this occasion it was from a remarkable 17 phases from the hosts that saw the bruising Alberts and Eben Etzebeth getting the go-forward ball before Francois Hougaard capitalised from five out.
Steyn's conversion made it 22-3 with 20 minutes on the clock and with the altitude factor expected to come into play in the second 40, the prospect of an English comeback seemed unlikely. That was until a quick tap from Youngs on halfway led to right wing Chris Ashton breaking the line before he fed Flood in support. The ten's extras to his score had pulled Lancaster's men back to within twelve points before Steyn smartly sent over a drop-goal.
And that was how it stayed going into the break as the Springboks' 4/1 price to win the Rugby Championship suddenly looked rather generous. It was a half of physicality and intelligence that in truth left England shell-shocked and needing the ten minutes to think.
Steyn got things ticking again on 47 minutes to make it 28-10 before the so-called altitude factor was set to kick in. However, England quashed such predictions as they sparked a spell that silenced Coca-Cola Park, with two tries from Youngs bringing them within seven.
Flood continued the surge with a further three points on 65 minutes as - like earlier in the day in Christchurch and Melbourne - it seemed there would be another June Test that was going down to the wire. But this time would it finally be a northern nation smiling at full-time?
It would not. South Africa dug deep and a virtuoso try from JP Pietersen ended England's hopes as he first broke clear from his own ten-metre up to England's 22 - beating several attempted tacklers - before finding himself unmarked on the right wing following a couple of ensuing phases. That critical score pushed the Boks up to a 36-27 advantage with seven minutes remaining in Johannesburg and South Africa ultimately prevailed to make it 2-0.
Man-of-the-match: The official award went to JP Pietersen following his critical try and general workrate. However, we take our hat off to young lock Eben Etzebeth as he showed what quality and promise he has in the Springbok jumper. In just his second Test, he carried superbly and proved he has a bright future in the green and gold. Bismarck du Plessis was also his menacing self while England's stand-out was Ben Youngs.
Moment-of-the-match: It came on 73 minutes just when England looked like they might be on their way to a remarkable come-from-behind win. Step forward JP Pietersen, who went from his own half up to the English 22 before popping up on the right wing for the clincher.
Villain-of-the-match: Nothing much from what we could see.
The scorers:
For South Africa:
Tries: Alberts, B du Plessis, Hougaard, Pietersen
Con: M Steyn 2
Pen: M Steyn 3
Drop: M Steyn
For England:
Tries: Flood, Youngs 2
Con: Flood 3
Pen: Flood 2
South Africa: 15 Pat Lambie, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Jean de Villiers, 12 Frans Steyn, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 François Hougaard, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Willem Alberts, 6 Marcell Coetzee, 5 Juandré Kruger, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Tendai Mtawarira.
Replacements: 16 Adriaan Strauss, 17 Werner Kruger, 18 Flip van der Merwe, 19 Keegan Daniel, 20 Ruan Pienaar, 21 Wynand Olivier, 22 Bjorn Basson.
England: 15 Ben Foden, 14 Chris Ashton, 13 Jonathan Joseph, 12 Manusamoa Tuilagi, 11 David Strettle, 10 Toby Flood, 9 Ben Youngs, 8 Ben Morgan, 7 Chris Robshaw (c), 6 Tom Johnson, 5 Geoff Parling, 4 Mouritz Botha, 3 Dan Cole, 2 Dylan Hartley, 1 Joe Marler.
Replacements: 16 Lee Mears, 17 Alex Corbisiero, 18 Tom Palmer, 19 Thomas Waldrom, 20 Lee Dickson, 21 Owen Farrell, 22 Alex Goode.
Referee: Alain Rolland (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Steve Walsh (Australia), Simon McDowell (Ireland)
Television match official: Iain Ramage (Scotland)
By Adam Kyriacou
Comments
new_j4a says...
@Honestpom they can or more likely take a quick drop kick from the conversion spot.
Posted 07:53 19th June 2012
Honestpom says...
@ markpat
I was thinking exactly the same as i watched. England were not too great thinking on their feet there.Am i right in saying, If for arguments sake, England had scored a try they could have forsaken an attempt at the conversion to get play restarted quicker and maybe more time to attempt to get another potential 7 pointer, thus winning the game ? ( Wishful thinking i know ! )
Posted 20:38 18th June 2012
markpat says...
Can someone please explain one thing to me?
If you're 9 points down with under 5 minutes left and a penalty, why kick for touch? If you do manage to score the try, chances are it's going to take most, if not all of those 5 minutes.
Surely you kick the penalty to get within a score, use the remaining 4 minutes to get the ball back and then you play until you either score the try or concede possession.
The simple fact is that you can't score twice if you take all the time scoring the first. It's 2 scores, so you take the quickest one first.
The only reasons I can see for going for the try first are in case the opposition get a penalty or drop goal of their own or in case you miss the conversion, but you have to back yourself to get 10 unanswered points in that situation.
Posted 14:15 18th June 2012
APV1 says...
Congratulation Boks - you had this won in the first 20 minutes. We were woeful and to say we were like headless chickens would be disrespectful to headless chickens. WE rallied a bit in the latter stages of the first half and came back well in the 2nd. But it was too little, too late.
Should it have been a try? Nope. But should it have been fed straight? Yep, but it never is. The sooner the refs and TJs penalise a crooked feed, the better. And all Alberts did was play to the whistle - which is exactly what we're all told in our very first lesson.
Corbs was great and I can see him starting with Marler on the bench.
Steyne is missing his kicking boots, which was good for us. Whoever has them, please keep them for another week.
Flood and Youngs combined well. What will we do now Youngs is injured?
On a lighter note, in Phil Vickery's article was this interesting post:
"gazzabok says...
The English are delusional. That was't a competition once the Boks settled into the game.
Boks will win by 20+ tomorrow. If not, note this comment and I will donate 10 quid to Wooden Spoon.
Posted 13:12 15th June 2012"
At least some good has come from the result!
@ letsgoboks - I assure you - most England fans dislike Barnes too.
Posted 12:29 18th June 2012
makemehappy says...
@new_j4a - obviously I'm not sad enough to think that someone couldn't work out what was meant, except for a troll or an idiot. I think anyone who watched the game would confirm they had doubts over the first two tries - just try that for a start. Do we need to go into the minutes that they occured LOL - I'm being gentle on you - get a life! You must be very immature or just plain dull. Accept your kickin and move on or perhaps you might apologise for being so rude and accept your naivety!
Posted 20:20 17th June 2012
new_j4a says...
@jonthewannaberef.you say "I did not comment on the officials, you have me confused with someone els. "
*******You are a liar.********
Posted 20:49 10th June 2012 here http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,3555_7802790_2,00.html#pr-comments
jontheref says...
Wow!
been away on hols, so only just saw the game.
So many angry people from practically every country!
Yes, S15 is played at a higher pace.
Ues, genia was great.
Yes patchy refereeing, favouring the attacking team is wrong, allowing up to 3 offences to go unpunished.
Joubert, inconsistent?
IMO yes, prime example, 5 mins to go, Wales attacking, speaks to 7 Gold!, as he had on numerous times, Aus get ball, kick chase, (which was better than Priestland's!), same situation in Wales 22 gains Aus a PK.
Numerous other examples, just look without the blinkers.
Wales carried over their own line, obvious on first sight, does not go to te TMO, but then, do we expect any different?
Knock off halfpenny's head, when he though it was a Aus knock on, then Wales, the guy is obviously too caught up in himself to do it.
Yes Aus took their chances, and Wales did not, but Joubert was a huge factor.
I wait the key board warriors assaults!
especially those hwo cannot see how poor Joubert is."
Why am I so angry with you? Easy....you are ruining the game by denigrating some of the finest refs in the world. Kids read your ill informed rubbish and decides not to become a ref....or some idiot (maybe at Loftus) decides to take the law into his own hands. What you do on here is very little different to what the idiot did physically attacking the ref. It is fine to question ref decisions. But that is NOT what you do. You refuse to be exact. You just slander.
If you are not lying then you must have a serious problem with the bottle....or perhaps some shaved monkey borrows your login and writes this stuff
Posted 17:22 17th June 2012
letsgoboks says...
melkdave next time watch the whole game and not the English highlights.
Will probably tell a different story.
And I wish everyone would quit calling this an experienced springbok team. The english had the whole 6 nations together. The boks have had 2 games(the ones they've just played). The future is bright... the future is Green and Gold :D
Posted 16:34 17th June 2012
loosehead79 says...
Am I the only one who thinks that Ben Young lacks imagination in a England shirt? One of the factors that changed the game in Englands favour in the second half was that he didn't box kick as much and allowed the backs to have some possesion.
Posted 15:52 17th June 2012
nastyned says...
@Ruggernaut; because if the ball goes straight through the scrum, and is not played by a front row player, the ball must be put in again (Law 20.7c). However the reason England lost is that they were physically hammered in the first half. Hopefully Lancaster will have learnt something about international rugby and some of his players. Tuilagi is not an inside centre, Morgan, Parling and Hartley struggled to front up, England looked a lot better when Waldrom came on (although I haven't been a great fan), Corbisiero made a big difference in the scrum. Still this is a very young and inexperienced side who will have learnt a huge amount in the last two weeks.
Posted 15:47 17th June 2012
quietbrit says...
SA very very strong in the first 40 but clearly not the finished article. Still job done and all credit to them.
Eng - unsurprisingly didn't do well against SA with 2 lightweight locks and a team that failed to impose itself. This reveals the gulf between where England are and Rugby in the SH. Still Youngs is back which is great to see.
I hope SA don't field a weaker team and let Eng have it in the 3rd test - 3-0 is the result that Eng need to take away...
Posted 15:24 17th June 2012
melkdave says...
Well finally watched the highlights.gradduaghters wedding yeserday so couldnt watch it live.Congraulatuons to SA on the victory ,and series win ,and also to England for the comeback.Making it annother close game ,and a good watch.The Bokkes power game in the 1st half was very good ,but England conceding a very soft try in the 1st five mins ,i feel gave them a big boost Overall imho England played the better rugby ,but its points on the scoreboard that win games.Still not disappointed with England ,,they made progress from the last game ,and i cant remember when last a bokke scrum was mullered,so consistanly,even before the subuitions.England arnt that far from cracking the power game of the bokkes really ,and will have learnt alot this tour.Still one test to go ,and still the possiabilty of England getting the one test win ,which imho will have made this an outstanding tour for England ,given its still very early in their development.Too come so close in 2 tests against a very experianced and powerfull SA team ,gives me alot of hope for the future.Again well done to both teams for such an entertaining match
Posted 15:07 17th June 2012
lawynd says...
@Ruggernaut - I guess people are pointing to law 20.7, parts b and c.
(b) If the scrum half throws in the ball and it comes out at either end of the tunnel, the ball must be thrown in again unless a free kick or penalty has been awarded.
(c) If the ball is not played by a front row player, and it goes straight through the tunnel and comes out behind the foot of a far prop without being touched, the scrum half must throw it in again.
Given that the ball went straight through the tunnel (for a second successive week!), it should have been a scrum reset. The point is however moot, and it certainly wasn't what lost the game for England, although it didn't help.
Posted 14:39 17th June 2012
bokbevok says...
I think HM would of learnt that putting whole bench on in short time caused the cohesiveness to fall away especial when they are our go forward players , alerts bismark , hougard. Next week unlikely to see them go off altogether and I believe boks to win by more.
Posted 14:03 17th June 2012
jontheref says...
justice four all, or what ever it means.
I did not comment on the officials, you have me confused with someone els.
No doubt it is yur meds or lack of them.
Why are you so angry?
Not only with me, but anyone who DARES to have an opinion?
No wonder you mention fighting with someone in a pub, fantasy for when (IF) they ever let you out of lock up?
Posted 13:28 17th June 2012
TheBaritone says...
It was a great game; edge of the seat stuff and, on the balance of play, SA deserved the win. How, though, do the IRB allow Mr Roland to referee any game that includes scrummaging? He and his assistants seem to be blissfully unaware of the rules & regs of the scrum and should ask themselves the question "Why would the English prop drop the scrum when he is dominating his opponent?" This occurred on both sides of the scrum on several occasions and cost England several points as well as field position. This said, I thought that Roland reffed the rest of the game pretty well.
JPP was gifted the ball from Joseph's aimless kick, which was unfortunate. However, it produced a try that was both painful and magical to watch.
Posted 13:18 17th June 2012
TheBaritone says...
It was a great game; edge of the seat stuff and, on the balance of play, SA deserved the win. How, though, do the IRB allow Mr Roland to referee any game that includes scrummaging? He and his assistants seem to be blissfully unaware of the rules & regs of the scrum and should ask themselves the question "Why would the English prop drop the scrum when he is dominating his opponent?" This occurred on both sides of the scrum on several occasions and cost England several points as well as field position. This said, I thought that Roland reffed the rest of the game pretty well.
JPP was gifted the ball from Joseph's aimless kick, which was unfortunate. However, it produced a try that was both painful and magical to watch.
Posted 13:13 17th June 2012
XXXLDave says...
@Ruggernaut
IRB Law 20.7
(c) If the ball is not played by a front row player, and it goes straight through the tunnel and comes out behind the foot of a far prop without being touched, the scrum half must throw it in again.
The first person to touch the ball after the 9 was the England blind side Tom Johnson. The correct call would have been scrum again and not a try. The touch judge on that side should have known that.
Posted 12:39 17th June 2012
spliffed says...
South Africa edged it? What game was the author watching? Morne Steyn is there as an amazing goal kicker, nothing else.. He missed 5 kicks, 3 penalties and 2 conversions he would normally slot over in his sleep. Thats another 13 points which would have been a fairer reflection of the match.
1st half SA were awesome. Went to sleep a few times in the second half which allowed England to score. Seriously that could have been a massacre. 3rd test a white win? Only if SA change half the team as an experiment .. which I hope they do. Series is won
Posted 12:10 17th June 2012
lawynd says...
What a game...I'm naturally gutted that England lost (although not surprising with that performance) but as a spectacle I've not seen many better. Hats off to the Boks (again!), the physicality of those boys is unmatched when they're in the mood. I thought for all the grief that Pietersen was getting on here during the week he played well, drop aside. And how valuable is Bismarck in the scrum? It was relatively even with him on the field but without him it was almost like watching Australia. ;)
Few positives for England really, no matter what any of the pundits tell us (@letsgoboks - most of us think Barnes is a tool as well!) - at one point I thought I was watching the soccer team, never have I seen such powder-puff tackling in an England shirt. I thought Youngs and Flood individually played well and that Joseph, Ashton and Foden had their moments, but Tuilagi was again ineffective (just because sometimes you run through people doesn't mean you should) and Strettle should be nowhere near this team. Parling reacted well to the probable words he got at half-time but, like many others, that first 40 was completely unacceptable. I think Marler has potential but still has a lot to learn at international level; for now, Corbisiero showed why he was the incumbent in the jersey. Yet again we saw almost nothing from Hartley in the loose, what's happened? Cole seems to get better with every game however; it'll be interesting to see who Cockerill favours next season at Leicester now. I was glad Waldrom got his chance because on current form, he's far better than Morgan (is he still recovering from an injury?).
@makemehappy - with the exception of the yellow cards (one for Robshaw, one for Alberts) that were never given, I thought Rolland and his assistants were great, by virtue of the fact that they were barely mentioned. Please, do enlighten us?
Posted 11:53 17th June 2012
Herbman says...
I actually thought the Alberts try was legal... None of us here are pro refs, but my understanding is if the ball goes straight through the scrum it's a reset, but it was clearly touched by an England hand just before it popped out. Play on. I assume that's the issue you're all having? SA commentary actually didn't even mention it so I can only assume.
Posted 11:38 17th June 2012