Mixing
South Africa 23 England 12: Eddie Jones’ awful England sink to series defeat to superb Springboks
16th June 2018,
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DIFFERENT city, different stadium, same old story. Six series in South Africa, six defeats.
If SunSport could copy last week’s match report into this one, you would know no difference.
A double-figure lead was thrown away again. It was 21-points in Jo’Burg and another 12 here in Bloem.
Oh, another yellow card too - this time Nathan Hughes the guilty man as England self-destructed.
And if England didn't know the Afrkiaans for fight before kick-off, they do now. It was the perfect game for this ferocious crowd.
In the Afrikaans heartland, crazy Springboks fans were decked out in animal skin suits and dear-stalking camo.
They wanted blood sports. And they got.
Their superb Springboks sensed it too and they were fuelled by passion in the raucous Free State Stadium.
When England lost lynchpin Billy Vunipola through injury just seconds before halftime, you could see the team losing all hope.
OWEN IN BLOEM Wilko's South Africa masterclass 18 years ago is inspiring fly-half Farrell
And Handre Pollard’s monster-kick that put the Springboks a point up on the stroke of the hooter was the momentous moment that killed England.
It is a disastrous story for England and awful Jones, who again insisted to train at sea level before playing at altitude.
But this has been a magical, historic and groundbreaking tour for South Africa.
Siya Kolisi, their first ever black Test captain will go home to Cape Town with the pressure off and a sensational series win in the bag.
England head there an absolute disgrace and in tatters.
As the RFU look to make up to 100 redundancies at home, maybe it is Jones who should be fearing the chop.
Shockingly, chief exec Steve Brown handed him a two-year deal at the start of this dreaded year.
He too should be feeling the heat as he stays at home to enforce the cost-cutting whilst Jones blows the bank with England.
Too long have we heard these players talk nonsense, too, about learning lessons and cutting out stupid errors and ill-discipline.
It was 13 penalties to follow last week’s 17. There is no side in world rugby as frustrating to watch right now.
Jones has been given all the resources to turn these Red Rose droids into world-beaters and instead has made them absolute no-hopers.
Though again, it all started so well before they choked.
After a scare from Damian de Allende, intercepting Ben Youngs’ pass before turning on the gas and blitzing 60m, England hit back.
After gathering some composure they attacked down the left and the impressive Jonny May sent through Mike Brown for the opener.
In a stunning case of deja vu, May then stormed down the opposite touchline as he slipped Siya Kolisi and left the Springboks skipper for dead.
The riled Springboks then got angry. Very angry.
Hot-heads Faf de Klerk and Farrell clashed as Rassie Erasmus’ side edged closer to the England tryline - sparking an all-out brawl.
South Africa kept fighting in a legal way as they looked to hurt England.
Prop Tendai Mtawarira, known as The Beast, was playing like one on his record-breaking 100th cap as he carried hard like a rhino through the middle.
And no one had a sucker-punch tackle to floor blockbusting no.8 Duane Vermeulen.
The sensational backrow stepped Billy Vunipola and steamrolled Maro Itoje and Ben Youngs before slamming the ball down for his immense try.
Fired-up Vermeulen then clashed with Itoje as things continued to turn mean and nasty with slaps and digs all over the place.
Mako Vunipola got off lightly when he landed a palm in the face of Pieter-Steph du Toit, igniting another ruckus.
After 38 minutes the Boks lead 13-12 when Handre Pollard lined-up and then launched a 58m penalty through the thin, oxygen-sapping air.
A penalty try got the Boks rolling again after the break as the wheels of the Red Rose chariot came flying off.
England looked to New Zealand to give them some stardust. And Kiwi-born Brad Shields did that.
But the chip-butty loving no.6 also showed his English side by dropping the ball on the try line.
Jones was out-coached tactically by one of the brightest men in world rugby.
Last-minute Larry, that’s the joker Jones, finally threw on the Premiership's best playmaker Danny Cipriani on 67 minutes.
His opposite number Pollard had already stretched the lead to 11 by then.
The so-called master was schooled by the apprentice in the city where this great new Boks boss made his name.
Impressive Erasmus is no stranger to Bloem having gone to uni here, before playing for and then bossing the Cheetahs.
It was one hell of a homecoming.
And so too will it be for inspirational Kolisi next week.
DIFFERENT city, different stadium, same old story. Six series in South Africa, six defeats.
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