Springboks Too Physical for England in Dominant Display

The Springboks were simply too physical for England, and for the first seventeen minutes of this match it was as one-sided as rugby gets. Every single carry after the whistle, South Africa came with intent and power, and England had no answer. The Boks were imposing their will completely.

England did begin to find some rhythm, and there was a moment early on that could have changed the complexion of the game entirely — a try that was disallowed after Jamie George picked up the ball in a ruck. Those are the fine margins in Test rugby, and in this case they mattered. England needed that score.

The momentum did shift somewhat when Ellis Genge crossed the line, catching the Springboks napping and giving England something to build on. The lineout became a weapon for England too, disrupting South Africa's ability to get on the front foot and sustain their attacking pressure. Slowly but surely, England chipped away — even though, from where I was watching, there were real opportunities out wide that they left on the table.

As the half wore on, England forced the Springboks backwards and secured a try on the brink of halftime. For the last twenty minutes of that first half, South Africa couldn't get back on the front foot, and England were winning the territory battle. It was a genuine momentum swing, and it made for an uncomfortable halftime for the Boks.

Whatever Rassie Erasmus said at the break, it worked. Because that halftime speech clearly had to be hard — and the Springboks came out in the second half and dominated every phase of the game. England showed some glimpses late in the second half, a reminder that the talent is there, but they simply could not match the Springboks' physicality even when they tried to bring it. That is the gap right now between these two sides. The Springboks were too physical for England when it mattered most, and England's workrate and effort weren't enough to bridge it.

England have a lot of work to do. Not just tactically, but in terms of the brutal, grinding, carry-by-carry physicality that the Springboks bring every single time. I've been on fields against sides like this and I know what it feels like when the momentum is against you and you can't stop the tide. England experienced exactly that tonight.

For the Springboks, attention now turns to Scotland next week at Loftus — a venue where the Boks are difficult to beat and where the pressure will once again be on the visitors from the first whistle.