Springboks edge England in thrilling Twickenham encounter

England 20-29 South Africa, Twickenham

In front of a roaring Twickenham crowd of over 81,000, South Africa edged England 29-20 in a gripping Autumn Nations Series clash.

The rematch of their nail-biting 2023 World Cup semi-final showcased five tries in the opening 26 minutes, contrasting starkly with the slow-paced arm wrestle of their last encounter.

England opened the scoring in just the fourth minute when Ollie Sleightholme capitalised on Marcus Smith’s clever dummy drop-goal attempt and sharp pass. The winger's try marked the first by an England back against the Springboks since 2018.

Despite England’s early lead, the Springboks quickly recovered. Grant Williams exploited a defensive gap to score, followed by Pieter-Steph du Toit’s opportunistic try off a charge down. Cheslin Kolbe then added to the tally, finishing after a precise cross-kick from Mannie Libbok.

England responded through Sam Underhill, who marked his return to the team with a well-timed try, narrowing the deficit to 22-17 before half-time.

The frenetic pace slowed in the second half, with both sides trading penalties. Marcus Smith’s 52nd-minute kick momentarily gave England the lead, but Handre Pollard’s long-range effort - via the crossbar - restored South Africa’s advantage.

Damian de Allende’s powerful run set up another try for Kolbe, who dazzled with his footwork to evade Sleightholme. England’s maul earned them opportunities, including a yellow card for South Africa’s Gerhard Steenekamp, but repeated handling errors and miscommunications meant chances were squandered.

For the third time this autumn, England’s inability to capitalise on key moments proved costly. Misfires in lineouts, dropped passes, and penalties in the opposition half allowed South Africa to maintain control in the closing stages.

Head coach Steve Borthwick faces mounting pressure as England remain winless in their Autumn Nations Series campaign. While there were flashes of brilliance, consistency and composure eluded the side against the reigning world champions.

England will need to regroup quickly as their autumn fixtures continue, with improvements required to avoid further setbacks in what has become a challenging series.

Team lineups:

England: Steward; Freeman, Lawrence, Slade, Sleightholme; M Smith, Van Poortvliet; Genge, George (capt), Stuart, Itoje, Martin, Cunningham-South, Underhill, Earl.

Replacements: Cowan-Dickie, Baxter, Cole, Isiekwe, Dombrandt, Randall, Ford, Roebuck.

South Africa: Fassi; Kolbe, Kriel, De Allende, Arendse; Libbok, Williams; Nche, Mbonambi, W Louw, Etzebeth, Snyman, Kolisi (capt), Du Toit, Wiese.

Replacements: Marx, Steenekamp, Koch, E Louw, Smith, Reinach, Pollard, Am.