England hit a new low against South Africa: It's the same old sorry story as Chris Robshaw's rabble lose fifth game in a row

  • South Africa defeated England 31-28 in their second autumn international at Twickenham on Saturday  
  • For the second week running, England were beaten at the breakdown and the scoreboard flattered the hosts
  • The first 15 minutes were dire with balls regularly spilled in slippery, but far from treacherous, handling conditions
  • England were quickly 10-0 down and were lucky to reach half time at 13-6, which was soon 20-6 after the break 
  • With Victor Matfield sin-binned, England hit back with tries through forwards David Wilson and Ben Morgan
  • Ben Morgan will surely start next week against Samoa after a dire performance from Billy Vunipola 

By Sam Peters For Mail On Sunday

Published: 15:42 EST, 15 November 2014 | Updated: 16:20 EST, 15 November 2014

For just under five minutes on Saturday, England’s supporters found their voice.

With Springbok lock Victor Matfield in the sin bin, Stuart Lancaster’s side finally gave the 82,125 fans inside Twickenham hope with two tries to level the score at 20-20.

Swing Low echoed around the rain-soaked old stadium but they had barely got through the first verse before it all went flat again. Just as the power failed before the match, the lights went out on England’s momentarily sparky performance.

With Matfield still off, the hulking Schalk Burger muscled his way over in the right-hand corner and South Africa never looked back. 

VIDEO Scroll down to see where Stuart Lancaster feels England lost the game 

England captain Chris Robshaw's emotion shows what the loss, their fifth successive, means to the England players

England captain Chris Robshaw's emotion shows what the loss, their fifth successive, means to the England players

England's players look dejected as they trudge off the Twickenham turf following their defeat on Saturday

England's players look dejected as they trudge off the Twickenham turf following their defeat on Saturday

South Africa players celebrate the only try of the first half which came from an intercept by Jan Serfontein

South Africa players celebrate the only try of the first half which came from an intercept by Jan Serfontein

Match facts 

England: Brown, Watson, Barritt, Eastmond, May, Farrell , Care; Marler, Hartley, Wilson, Attwood, Lawes, Wood, Robshaw (c), Vunipola

Replacements: Webber, Mullan, Brookes, Kruis, Morgan, Youngs, Ford, Yarde

Tries: Wilson, Morgan, Barritt 

Penalties: Farrell (2), Ford 

Conversions: Farrell (2) 

South Africa: Le Roux, Pietersen, Serfontein, De Villiers (c), Habana, Lambie, Reinach; Mtawarira, Strauss, Du Plessis, Etzebeth, Matfield, Coetzee, Burger, Vermeulen

Replacements: Du Plessis, Nyakane, Oosthuizen, Botha, Mohoje, Hougaard, Pollard, Hendricks

Tries: Serfontein, Reinach, Burger 

Penalties: Lambie (3) 

Conversions: Lambie (2)

Field goal: Lambie 

Another consolation try seconds from time put gloss on the scoreboard but, make no mistake, for large parts of this game England were abject. If the alarm bells were ringing following defeat to the All Blacks, the sirens are screaming from the Twickenham rooftops after this loss. Five defeats in succession, albeit against the best two sides in the world, is England’s worst run since 2006.

And as the countdown to the World Cup continues, there is no sign of significant improvement.

For the second week running, an opposition No7 — this time Burger — won the man-of-the-match award, leaving more questions over England captain Chris Robshaw’s suitability for the openside role.

For the second week running, England were second best at the breakdown.

For the second week running, Owen Farrell was unable to spark his back line.

For the second week running, the scoreboard told a false story.

England created next to nothing when South Africa had a full complement on the field. On the few occasions they did, they bombed their chances.

The first 15 minutes were truly dire with balls regularly spilled in slippery, but far from treacherous, handling conditions against a side who tackled fiercely, sat back and waited for their chances to come. And come they did.

Before England knew it, they were 10-0 down and they were lucky to reach half time at 13-6. That became 20-6 just after the break when Cobus Reinach crossed for a brilliantly worked try before England briefly rallied with Matfield in the bin.

But with momentum swinging, Burger and co wrestled control back and closed out the game. England had few answers.

Lancaster said: ‘We got some good field position in the second half and took those chances well. In the first half we could have been a bit smarter in those conditions. It was one of those days when territory was going to be important and in the first half South Africa benefited from our errors. 

Springboks centre Jan Serfontein runs away for the first try of the match after intercepting the pass of Danny Care

Springboks centre Jan Serfontein runs away for the first try of the match after intercepting the pass of Danny Care

England's Kyle Eastmond takes on South Africa's Pat Lambie as the centre makes his full international debut

England's Kyle Eastmond takes on South Africa's Pat Lambie as the centre makes his full international debut

Springboks' forwards engulf England's Billy Vunipola after he takes the ball from a lineout

Springboks' forwards engulf England's Billy Vunipola after he takes the ball from a lineout

Owen Farrell adds two points after the try of Wilson to make his tally two penalties and two conversions before being replaced

Owen Farrell adds two points after the try of Wilson to make his tally two penalties and two conversions before being replaced

A break from England full back Mike Brown is halted by try-scorer Serfontein

A break from England full back Mike Brown is halted by try-scorer Serfontein

South Africa celebrate Cobus Reinach's first international try in his first start for the Springboks in the first minute of the second half

South Africa celebrate Cobus Reinach's first international try in his first start for the Springboks in the first minute of the second half

Key statistics 

ENGLAND 

83               (2)

107

388

5

1 

28

14

13

4/4

19/20

80/89

58%

60% 

 

Tackles (missed)

Carries

Metres 

Clean Breaks

Offloads

Kicks (hand)

Turnovers

Pens against

Scrums won

Lineouts won

Rucks Won

Possession

Territory

STH AFRICA

123                 (20)

77

217

2

4

34

14

15

3/3

13/13

60/63

42

40 

‘But we’re not going to sit here feeling sorry for ourselves because I believe in the coaches, I believe in the players and I believe in what we’re doing.’

No one player should not carry the can for another collectively poor display but No8 Billy Vunipola will not seek out the highlights reel of this match with any relish.

Substituted after 43 minutes, the young Saracen can rarely have produced a more error-strewn display. Ben Morgan will surely start next week if the strike-threatened clash with Samoa goes ahead.

Almost as soon as Vunipola was replaced by Morgan, England found some bite. Two tries in three minutes from the industrious David Wilson and then from Morgan himself gave England’s fans hope.

But like so many times under Stuart Lancaster’s reign, the home side flattered to deceive, lacking the nous to beat one of the Southern Hemisphere’s big three.

Just as New Zealand did last week, South Africa gripped this game at precisely the right time. Once again England were strangled as discipline disappeared and attacking quality went missing.

Dylan Hartley was sent to the bin for a cynical 61st-minute stamp on Duane Vermeulen, which could easily have brought a red card from referee Steve Walsh. As it was, the yellow compounded his side’s woes and undid a lot of excellent work from England’s hooker.

Indeed, most concerning for England’s coaches is that despite the set-piece being rock solid, they are failing to create chances and field position on the back of it. England out-scrummaged their opponents with ease in an area the Springboks would have expected to dominate.

England’s lineout functioned well again, with Courtney Lawes enjoying a fine game in tandem with his Northampton team-mate Hartley. So what on earth is going wrong? 

Victor Matfield was shown a yellow card after collapsing a maul following warnings to both sides by referee Steve Walsh

Victor Matfield was shown a yellow card after collapsing a maul following warnings to both sides by referee Steve Walsh

Mike Brown takes a high ball and is tackled in the air by South Africa's full back Willie Le Roux

Mike Brown takes a high ball and is tackled in the air by South Africa's full back Willie Le Roux

England full back Brown pushes his South African counterpart Le Roux

England full back Brown pushes his South African counterpart Le Roux

David Wilson crosses for England as the hosts make South Africa pay following the sin-binning of South Africa's Matfield

David Wilson crosses for England as the hosts make South Africa pay following the sin-binning of South Africa's Matfield

England's Ben Morgan twists in the tackle to get the ball down for England's second try

England's Ben Morgan twists in the tackle to get the ball down for England's second try

Another try for the England forwards comes from Morgan as the home side make the most of the one-man advantage

Another try for the England forwards comes from Morgan as the home side make the most of the one-man advantage

FIVE AREAS ENGLAND MUST FIX


1) Losing the breakdown battle. Must generate quick ball for the backs.

if you won’t use them?2) Talented wingers are isolated. Why pick them  

3) Kicking game needs improvement. No territory means no points.

4) Missed chances. England must start taking the few they’re creating.

5) Talk straight. Some home truths need telling behind closed doors.

In his first start on the right wing, Anthony Watson hardly touched the ball while Jonny May was also criminally underused on the other flank.

England’s much-criticised kicking game was barely any better on Saturday, with Farrell unable to manoeuvre his forwards around the pitch and lacking the passing game to get the back line moving. 

The England No10 was completely outshone by his opposite man Pat Lambie, who kicked 16 points including a late drop goal and pulled the strings superbly for his side.

Scrum-half Danny Care was ponderous around the breakdown as England’s back row were dominated and the quick ball backs desperately crave to attack the gain-line never materialised.

Tom Wood carried better than in recent matches but gave away too many penalties while Dave Attwood failed to let Watson loose with the line at his mercy on 25 minutes.

Same old mistakes, same old story. Lancaster may not be for turning, but England’s fans deserve so much better than this.

With the World Cup looming, there’s very little to sing about.

England captain Chris Robshaw converses with referee Steve Walsh during their Test at Twickenham

England captain Chris Robshaw converses with referee Steve Walsh during their Test at Twickenham

Dylan Hartley walks from the pitch after being sin-binned following Walsh's chat with his TMO

Dylan Hartley walks from the pitch after being sin-binned following Walsh's chat with his TMO

England lock Courtney Lawes charges down the kick of Lambie

England lock Courtney Lawes charges down the kick of Lambie

Stuart Lancaster's side must now regroup ahead of next week's clash with Samoa

Stuart Lancaster's side must now regroup ahead of next week's clash with Samoa

 

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