Flag out linesman.

Farrell to the bin

fair play handbags.

Nah, he hoofed it at England players. If his aim is crap thats his own fault.

2 over-excitable children I think.

Would love to see England get a result here, but I think backing SA on the cap earlier was the right thing to do. Look well on top.

Bismark must have carried double figures at this stage. Great stuff

Pitch is cutting up a bit. In England's half that is.......

pathetic tackle by Brown. Embarresment

Boks need tp change theri kicker.  Pinear much better than Steyn

66' 16-12

Boks once again switch off in a game.  England still very much in this

Its almost scary on will how South Africa can just make ground with ease with a scrum half that knows what he is about.

19-12

youngs idiot! kick for touch on the peno & get a lineout on/about boks 22 ffs quick penalty from there is plain stoooopid

Man of the Match surely is

Alberts

There you go.

Brutally efficently Scrum there...

78' 22-12

What a kick in the nuts.

FT 22-17

-7.5 Handicap done with last play of the game.  U couldn't make it up.  That refusal of 3 points when leading by 5 cost backers

SA don't want to play too complex a game because they don't really have the players (Pietersen playing at 13, and Habana, in super15 suggests a lack in midfield), but at the same time they can name a XV of absolutely huge body-mass. There have been worse times to play SA, with 4th and 5th choice locks for example, but Ezebeth is likely to be a superstar and Kruger is a class act. That second half was brutal, albeit a little bit self inflicted by England.

I thought England did quite well and showed exactly where they are currently. i.e. more organised and with more overall quality than they have had for many years, but still lacking that timing and cohesion on attack. What frustrates me is that 1 game into a tough, tough tour and Dewi Morris and Stuart Barnes are already on about wholesale backline changes. True, the 10, 12, 13 axis didn't create much, but they are defensively very strong and to become effective at this level you either need to be absurdly talented and hit the ground running or you need time together to bed in and learn the moves and how defences react. Still a relatively new head coach and a brand new backs coach - lets give them a chance eh?

Farrell is 20, Barritt 25, Tuilagi 21. There's a lot of time left for those 3 to grow as a trio, but one game in and the pundits are bashing on about Flood and Joseph. I like the look of Joseph a lot, but he is 21 as well and hasn't done anything truly outstanding as yet, while Flood has had endless chances and consistently looks ok, and nothing more. Farrell certainly needs to control the game better, but he was above average in the six-nations and at 20 is learning fast. I don't see how messing around with him, dropping and re-instating, is any sort of positive option.

Alas, with Barritt out for the 2nd test I think it's going to have to be Flood, which probably means Farrell shifted to 12. Joseph could really be given a chance on the wing as Ashton's commitment and concentration is still dubious. Personally I would rather see Farrell, Allen, Tuilagi as Allen has been much better for Leicester than Flood this season and it's less messing around with positions. If you want to play with precision then don't make your 10 move to 12 half way through the tour.

I don't think Tom Johnson is ever going to be the answer at 6, but then England have Wood, Croft and Haskell anyway when they can stay fit. Morgan needs to work harder in training, but Robshaw gets more impressive with every game he plays. Massive shame that Armitage remains out of the picture though as he has been maybe the best 7 in the top14. And Marler's debut was not fantastic, but I have seen many, many worse props playing international rugby and I think he has a big future.