South Africa v England

That could be a yellow mr Walsh. Try coming there and killed dead.

Big Bad Ben does the business. Can't wait to see him in Cherry & White!

It's unbelievable that SA, with their 10 man game, do not opt for Pienaar at 9 to pull the strings and take some pressure off Steyn. Hougaard far better suited to fast, open games or coming off the bench with his pace.

Didn't understand the pen there.  Surely the ball was knocked loose and the SA player picked up a loose ball?

Can someone who knows the rules explain.  Thanks.

Hell of a signing for Gloucester is Morgan. They still need some tight-five forwards to challenge I think, but there is plenty of good young talent in other areas for sure.

Not sure who knocked it out, but the SA players feet were well in front of the back foot as he stood at the side. Just wasn't onside when he picked it up.

The SA defender needs to be behind the hindmost foot when the ruck is formed. The ball did squirt out but he was already in an offside position.

In fact, technically the moment he picked it up maybe wasn't relevant if the ball was knocked out, but the fact he didn't retreat did for him.

OK thanks

Rumours are that he won't be the only Scarlet on his way to Kingsholm RM.

Ah, shame. It's always the one you don't see that does for you. Ashton so nearly in.

Intelligent play by Youngs and Ashton though. Good to see!

Pinching Scarlets kids probably isn't a bad idea Glossy. Two of the best academies around at Glos and Llanelli.

Only trouble is their props are not great and that's what Glos need. Maybe pinch a lock, although Reed has just gone to Cardiff and they wont want to lose any more.

Hartley kicking?  He is no Gethin Jenkins

That was the worst organised maul I have ever seen from SA. Matfield and Botha missing is a big problem.

Two shockers in a row from Brown. That's dreadful.

Losing a line out as well! Never saw that with Matfield playing.

Why didn't Brown let that go from Kirchner??? Way too much on it!

Out of interest, why not Matfield or Botha?  Injured, retired or just not selected?

some serious good defence from eng again

Robshaw that time. Been some superb turnovers from a team without an out and out openside.

Matfield and Botha both retired from internationals I think. Botha in France and Matfield in Japan? Not 100% on that.

Both getting on a bit anyway. Bekker out injured as well.

I think the first choice front row of Wood, Edmonds and Harden will be ok if all are fit. Harden improved a lot last season. I do agree though, it's one of the positions that needs to be strengthened if we are to challenge. Can probably say the say about the second row and blind side too.

Is Will James still 3rd choice lock? If so that says exactly what the locking problem is!

how can you expect to get away with that?

What on earth was Johnson playing at? It was rolling straight out so would just have been a reset.

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ffs blllx cooooont

What a tw@t.  In such a tight match, that could prove crucial.

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

ouuta the gaol & into the honey pit

Ha. - the fookign in bred **** shoved it with his hand.

Shoite game played by fookign idiots.

I want to see Glos playing with Qera and this lad in the same back-row:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sione_Kalamafoni

Brutal! Was excellent in the world cup from what I remember.

The South African pack looks completely disorganised. Coetzee and Alberts only lads doing anything. Disappointed with Bismark and the 2 second rows are very green but very solid in the lineouts in fairness to them. Houghaard is having a shocker at 9.

Pienaar would defo be a call to play 9 and shift houghaard to the wing. Bekker is a massive massive loss.

well done furelli  -suited my ht/ft bets just too

Really enjoyable first half that.  Who needs tries when there is a great bruising contest on show?  I fancy SA will stick nick this but that was a fine 40 from Eng.

Not really anything between the two teams is there? Both solid, both have some youngsters making a few mistakes, both defences very impressive.

I wonder why South Africa don't put Lambie in at 10 and shift steyn to 15. It would completely change there game.

They probably will nick it Vis, but not at current odds, thanks.

still too hard to call, think the series will go down to the last game & the last 10mins based on that half

is that Habanna back on? or was i hearign things

How on earth was Habana a 'blood' injury? Just got smacked in a bad place.

works for me

longest blood injury of all time that

worst game ever

I thought it was 10 minutes, but surely he was off before the 30th min? Very dubious.

Pure shyte from Youngs. Crab, crab, pass to Robshaw with no space whatsoever.

Must have knocked on ffs???

Johnson had to do better there.

Not been overly impressed with him to be honest.

33rd min habanna went off, anyone see the bok scrummie wiped out by his own frwd then.....

Lambie definitely knocked it on in that move.

England are a big side but they were smashed since the 2nd half started. Springboks brought real power to the game now.

Beastly in defense SA

Damage was done long before that. Would have been a pen anyway, but Lambie dropped that one dead and the touch judge was apparently looking elsewhere.

Big test for Lancaster now. Got to get Dickson on soon.

Lcuky not to give away a pen. Ashton was ahead of Youngs when he played it.

Lancaster needs to turn to his bench before SA are out of sight.

Houghaard can you get any worse. This is a shocker. Pienaar has to be on the pitch sooner or later.

Bollix, Flood for Barritt? that's the end of that then.

Not exactly the change I was looking for.

55' 11-6

Looking very much like just a matter of time before SA stretch their lead.

Steyn just hoofed the ball into someone and it all kicked off by the looks of things.

Flag out linesman.

Farrell to the bin

his own player rugbyman

fair play handbags.

walsh aint gonna card anyone, lets them get on w it.

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

2 over-excitable children I think.

Pienaar finally.

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.

Yeah  Yeah  Alain.

It's a game of rugby says Steve Walsh

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

I went into this on England +7.5 but am well and truly on SA now. England haven't been out of their half in this 18 mins and have Flood defending the 12 channel where Barritt was.

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

Jesus South Africa are just in supercharged now.

Steyn is playing great at 12...making yards with ease

pathetic tackle by Brown. Embarresment

think the long cap might well come in now, legs have gone, subs now

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

South Africa gone to sleep!

66' 16-12

yes gone to sleep

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

Bugger. 4pts a bit of a nuisance to me. Need more scores now

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

Boks now take the 3 when only 4 ahead.  They were 5 ahead earlier and refuded to take the easy 3.  U couldn't make it up

19-12

England Green!!!

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

v good performance overall Eng

Man of the Match surely is

Alberts

Cant argue with that. Tough man to stop.

There you go.

Brutally efficently Scrum there...

Shame for England as I think they have performed well, but SA second half power has just been a bit too much for this young team. Certainly not disgraced though.

78' 22-12

Sums up my weekend if that's a try. Getting done on a 80th minute try for the 3rd time in two days

What a kick in the nuts.

FT 22-17

Not seeing really how England beat South Africa next week.

SA should improve massively as they were pretty average first half.

England played well but serious lack of power in the tight over 80 mins.

& theres the cap in for the faithfull

-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

Jaysus the English boys took some punishment in that second half.  Great heart to stand up to it and conceed so few tries. 

Both nations approach the game in a similar way.  Strong set piece, kicking game and power.  No real imagination or creativity but huge commitment.  Boks comfortably the better team but their style makes pulling ahead on the scoreboard a real chore.

If England can stand up to the punishment for two more games and keep the score respectable it will be a fine achievement.

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.

Too much which initialy appeared relatively innocuous was allowed to be let go in that game. Habana is far too fast to be allowed to run from two sometimes three yards in front of the kicker when that is the game plan from the off and on more than one occasion the receiver was taken before he hit the ground. England need to stop aimlessly giving the balla back to them with loose kicks. By all means kick to put your opponent under pressure but some of the kicking was bizarre and immediately put an already under the cosh side further into trouble in that second half.

Agree about Marler. He struggled but they struggled more when he went off. We need some stronger men in that second row. Neither Botha nor Parling have the phsyciality though Botha ia at least a workhorse.

I can do without the boks endless high balls. I was hoping that with Du Preez gone that particular tactic might be put to rest. But no. Hougaard is at it as well. Despite a terrific dispaly of physicality by both packs when I watch those high balls I start to reach for the remote!

I think Eng are in for a bit of a hiding this week.  After a decent enough first half they were nothing other than holding on in the second and the gap flattered them.  As long as jokers like Youngs and Flood are in the team it doesn't augur well.  I agree with RM that Allen should be given another go