South Africa and England collide on the opening weekend of rugby’s new Nations Championship with a mighty meeting of rivals at Ellis Park in Johannesburg.
The world champions are in Test action for the first time this year seeking more success under Rassie Erasmus, and are close to fully loaded for the arrival of Steve Borthwick’s side. England face a gruelling itinerary over the next three weekends as they bid to bounce back from their worst-ever Six Nations, and are on a run of four consecutive defeats as they prepare for action again.
Maro Itoje has been rested for the July fixtures, leaving Jamie George to lead the travelling party. This is a first meeting with the Springboks in South Africa since 2018, with Borthwick and his squad likely to face a cauldron-like atmosphere despite initially slow ticket sales for the game – and they have been forced into a late change with George Furbank ruled out. The Springboks, though, have suffered a huge double blow with Siya Kolisi and Eben Etzebeth ruled out.
Follow all of the latest from the Nations Championship clash with our live blog below:
YELLOW CARD! Kurt-Lee Arendse is sent to the sin bin! South Africa 17-0 England, 28 minutes
TMO Richard Kelly wants a look at this…christ, that’s harsh! It’s a yellow card for Arendse, who had got himself ahead of the ball and then thrust up a hand! There is a linebreak opportunity, I suppose, but I’m not sure what the officials want him to do at such short range.
Referee James Doleman sends him away for ten minutes on the not-so-naughty step.
South Africa 17-0 England, 28 minutes
Solid enough from England, who then win the ball back in the air with Cadan Murley doing superbly.
Eesh! Don’t throw those, Marcus – full-back Smith just about puts enough oomph into his delivery to Immanuel Feyi-Waboso to prevent Kurt-Lee Arendse nabbing it and heading off in pursuit of the posts. A knock-on from Arendse, but so nearly seven more.
South Africa 17-0 England, 26 minutes
Ruan Nortje can’t claim it at the tail as Malcolm Marx doesn’t quite find the right parabola. Respite, of sorts, for England – though there is a scrum to feed 20 metres out.
South Africa 17-0 England, 24 minutes
Almost a strike from deep! Grant Williams bursts between England’s lineout defenders and into the opposition half, with Pieter-Steph du Toit there in support. The tourists scramble really well to corral him, and force a knock on.
But little is going their way! A fine clearing kick from Marcus Smith is replied to in kind by an even better one from Damian Willemse, like a tall six-iron arcing on to the putting surface and just checking as he intended. Out over the touchline it tumbles inside the 22 – that’ll be South Africa’s throw.
South Africa 17-0 England, 23 minutes
Seb Atkinson has carried with good bite from inside centre, but England are just losing the collision battle too often. Tommy Freeman hurries into a one-handed toss that isn’t quite quarterback quality.
A kick to touch grants South Africa a lineout.
South Africa 17-0 England, 22 minutes
A free kick, inevitably, means we’ll have to wait for what could be a box-office set-piece battle against statistically the two best scrums in men’s international rugby. England play away and attempt to inject tempo.
South Africa 17-0 England, 21 minutes
Every loose ball seems to be falling South Africa’s way. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso is beaten by the similarly springy Kurt-Lee Arendse and there are Springboks hands there to clutch it in the catching cordon.
An error! Gerhard Steenekamp fumbles on the rumble. Time for a scrum skirmish.
South Africa 17-0 England, 19 minutes
It feels like this could get ugly for England. An aerial miscollection ends up with Pieter-Steph du Toit roaming free with Malcolm Marx in the sidecar, and only an errant offload and fumble prevent the pair from speeding out into the suburbs. Blimey.
NO TRY! South Africa 17-0 England, 18 minutes
Would you believe it? George is bound in while Jack van Poortvliet has his hands on the ball as well – NO TRY, offside, penalty to South Africa!
All that toil for nowt. One dares not overreact but that feels a potentially fatal moment after that fast start.
