Clinical Springboks defeat sloppy England
Saturday, 22 Nov 2008 22:29
Adrian Jacobs celebrates his superb second-half try in a 42-6 win
A faultless performance from Ruan Pienaar was the key to a polished win for South Africa at Twickenham.
The Sharks fly-half kicked three penalties and three conversions as well as charging down a Danny Cipriani kick to cross the whitewash himself.
Danie Rossouw, Adrian Jacobs, Jacque Fourie and Bryan Habana also scored as an error-strewn England failed to avenge their 2007 World Cup final defeat to the Springboks.
England took the lead in the first minute with Cipriani slotting over a penalty, but the world champions soon drew level as Pienaar stroked home a long-range kick after the hosts infringed at a ruck.
A Cipriani penalty attempt fell well short, and England soon found themselves 10-3 down when Rossouw crashed over from five yards after a well-worked lineout move, with Pienaar converting.
The fly-half extended the Springbok lead minutes later after charging down a weary Cipriani clearance kick and strolling over the line unchallenged from 20 yards - converting his own try to make it 17-3.
A Delon Armitage break almost reduced the deficit on 32 minutes but a strong Pienaar tackle just metres from the try line denied the full-back.
And the Springbok fly-half's towering performance went on as the first half continued, calmly finishing another penalty from ten metres inside the left touchline.
Cipriani restored the home fans' smiles with a penalty as England sought to reach the interval and regroup, while Tendai Mtawarira was sent to the sin bin for going off his feet in a ruck.
It had been a first-half littered with English mistakes, with several kicks charged down and passes intercepted, and the home side were lucky to go in at the break just 14 points down.
England began the second half with vigour with wings Paul Sackey and Ugo Monye coming close as the pack battered the South African line but a sterling Springbok defensive effort kept the hosts at bay.
Clinical finishing separated the sides and a stunning Jacobs breakaway try - aided by Armitage slipping as he went to tackle - followed by another Pienaar conversion left England 21 points adrift.
Pienaar claimed a further three points with a penalty within the England 22 before Conrad Jantjes was sin-binned after a cynical block on Armitage as the London Irish full-back chased his own chip kick.
Nothing came from the subsequent scrum and Cipriani continued to misfire with a pair of late looped miss-passes putting paid to promising opportunities.
And an awful afternoon for England was capped when Fourie barged Sackey off the ball to claim a Francois Steyn clearance kick and sprint home.
Steyn converted before Habana scored his sixth try against England to send the home fans away miserably and leave team manager Martin Johnson with substantial work to do.