England -12 South Africa - 11. One can only assume that Eddie Jones played his Get Out of Jail Free card at half-time. In the first half the team was plain dreadful: out-muscled; out-thought; out of it generally. Maro Itoje started as if brain-dead, giving away puerile penalties and getting sin-binned. That bane of modern technique showed its annoying face (I speak as an old coach here) - tackles were routinely aimed at the torso when the situation cried out of for the good old-fashioned low (or 'chop' as the absurd vernacular would have it) tackle. Edge of the seat stuff. Did the better side win? No, but who cares - rugby, red in tooth and claw, just as it should be.
A more than passing word of credit as well for the Springbok captain, Siya Kolisi, who must have been absolutely gutted but spoke magnanimously at the finale.
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| losing with style - respect |
Finally, that 'tackle' by Owen Farrell at the climax, which the referee adjudged legal. For me, this was both the right and wrong decision. Right so far as my own stance on our game is concerned. Wrong by all the indications from matches I have seen in the early months of this season. Our sport should not be emasculated -but that is a debate for another day.
Next week New Zealand - and if that doesn't scare you nothing will.
Please note this is my nine hundred and ninety-ninth blog post. I am trying to think of something spectacular to mark the thousandth. Suggestions welcomed.
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