Martin Johnson's England side were scuppered by brute force of Springbok forwards and early injuries to key players Croft and Flood.The Independent on Sunday's Hugh Godwin reports.
"A couple of escalators outside Twickenham seized up a few minutes before kick-off and England suffered a similar breakdown in their upward progression. South Africa's muscularly indomitable Springboks blew the composure of Lewis Moody's side to smithereens, and but for Ben Foden's late interception there might have been a few boos welling in HQ's voiceboxes. This was South Africa's seventh straight win over England.
"The 10-point defeat replicated England's first result of the autumn, against the All Blacks, to create sobering bookends either side of the wins over Australia and Samoa. It was the last chance to get one up on the southern hemisphere heavyweights before the World Cup; the eight matches England have before the global set-to in New Zealand next September will be against Six Nations opposition.
"England were fragile, undermined by forces of physics as familiar to Martin Johnson as Isaac Newton. Whereas the Australians had played fast and loose, encouraging the English second rows, Courtney Lawes and Tom Palmer, into exciting dynamism, the South Africans stifled all that at source. The world champions were missing nine top-line players and had blown their Grand Slam bid in Scotland but they showed no fear at close quarters and handled England expertly out wide. Schalk Burger, John Smit and Heinrich Brussow were among the absentees; still their pack was strong enough to make monkeys of anyone who thought this would be a walk in the safari park for England."
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