5 Players who Impressed: England 20-29 South Africa – Autumn Nations Series
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England’s search for a win in the Autumn Nations Series continues, despite a valiant showing in their 29-20 defeat to South Africa. There were some excellent performances at the Allianz Stadium, as the likes of Sam Underhill and Cheslin Kolbe showcased their talents in a gruelling Test match.
MATCH REPORT: ENGLAND 20 – 29 SOUTH AFRICA
England ignited the evening with a try after just three minutes, as Marcus Smith set off on a searching run. The Harlequin slipped the tackle of Eben Etzebeth and Ox Nche, before Henry Slade shipped a pass to Ollie Sleightholme, for a try in the corner. However, the Springboks soon returned fire, as some individual brilliance from Grant Williams turned Freddie Steward inside out for the equalising try after 12 minutes.
South Africa then grabbed their second try, as their titanic forwards Etzebeth and Pieter-Steph du Toit charged down two consecutive England clearance kicks. Du Toit was quickest to react, and grounded the ball that had rolled over the try-line. Manie Libbok then stepped up for the Boks third try, as his cross-field kick found Cheslin Kolbe, and the wing skipped past Steward and then scampered over the whitewash.
Sam Underhill shone on his own return to England colours, as the back row battered his way through Bongi Mbonambi for a try mid-way through the first half. Some neat place kicking of Marcus Smith narrowed the deficit to just two points, and the teams split for half-time with the score-line reading 19-17 to South Africa.
Two tries were disallowed early in the second half, with Kurt-Lee Arendse and Henry Slade both seeing their names scrubbed off the score-sheet. Kolbe would race away for his second try just after the hour mark, as he turned Ollie Sleightholme on his heels before the dive over the line. Gerhard Steenekamp was sent to the sin bin, as the replacement Springbok prop was illegally interfering in the line-out.
5 PLAYERS WHO IMPRESSED: ENGLAND 20-29 SOUTH AFRICA
Honourable Mention: Freddie Steward (England)
If there was ever a performance that optimised ‘a game of two halves’, it was that of England fullback Freddie Steward. The Leicester Tigers man was called upon to dominate the areal battle against the kick trigger happy Springboks, yet had a horror start to his return to Test match action. Steward was turned inside out by Grant Williams, with the scrum half showcased his individual brilliance on the way to score, after skipping past Ellis Genge and George Martin’s double tackle attempt.
Steward would later miss a tackle on Cheslin Kolbe, as the Springbok wing collected an inch-perfect cross-field kick from Manie Libbok. Kolbe stepped off his side-line and left Steward clutching at the Twickenham turf, as the fullback slid past the speedster who strolled over to score. Steward would return with a punch, as he collected the high balls and ran hard and direct at the buckling wall of green and gold. Steward would go on to make multiple top class catches, with his 35th minute win standing out. Steward then chipped the ball down-field, for Tommy Freeman to chase with Manie Libbok in pursuit.
England fans thought Steward had completed his redemption arc, as after a miserable first 40 minutes, he provided the assist to Henry Slade’s score in the corner. However, the Chiefs man would have his try chalked off, after Maro Itoje was penalised for a croc roll on Malcolm Marx in the proceeding ruck. Steward stepped up and found his form for the second half, with impressive areal battles won in his man clashes with Kolbe and Kurt-Lee Arendse.
1. Cheslin Kolbe (South Africa)
Dutifully awarded Player of the Match for his high-octane effort, Cheslin Kolbe was at his high flying best for the Springboks in their win at the Allinaz. Kolbe’s afternoon commenced with his aforementioned cross-field kick collection, before snapping the side-step and scuttling past a cascading Freddie Steward. Kolbe cruised deep into England’s in-goal area, with the positioning for his try helping Manie Libbok nail the conversion, after a shakier start from the tee.
Kolbe’s quickstepping efforts was a highlight reel on the front foot, with the scrum-cap donning speedster slipping through England’s defensive line time and again. A stand out step saw Kolbe shuffle past Jamie George, with the tricky winger utilising the square footage of a phone box to evade the tackle of the England captain.
Kolbe would again stretch his legs for his second try, as he ran on to the break of Damien de Allende for a try shortly after the hour mark. Kolbe recieved the ball out wide, and stepped back inside past the tackle attempt of Ollie Sleightholme. Kolbe’s second try was eerily reminiscent of his try against England in the 2019 Rugby World Cup Final, as he flew past a tackle and exploded along the touchline for a diving score in the corner. Like Steward, Kolbe impressed under the high ball, with the stand out catch being a juggled pick out of the air from Handre Pollard’s cross-field kick.
2. Sam Underhill (England)
Sam Underhill was excellent upon his return to the England team, as the Bath man impressed in what was his first on-field minutes of the Autumn Nations Series. After being unused in the two defeats to New Zealand and Australia, Underhill was said to have been ‘frustrated’ by his head coach Steve Borthwick, with the back row coming out at the Allianz with a full head of steam against South Africa.
Underhill was over for an impressive try, after a powerful break from George Martin set the tone in the close-quarter carrying. Underhill powered over the top of Springbok prop Bongi Mbonambi, and the flanker could not be contained by Ox Nche, before he extended out an arm to ground the try. Underhill was one of the top options for England on the front foot ball, with the Bath man linking up with Marcus Smith for some short and sharp carries over the hard to dent gain-line.
Underhill was also as impressive upon the defensive side of the ball, with a 30th minute turnover at the breakdown made possible by Tommy Freeman’s earlier hit on Grant Williams. Underhill was a player at the heart of England’s defensive effort, and despite not starring in the two previous fixtures of the Autumn, Underhill has put his hand up for England’s starting XV to face Japan next weekend, and following that into the 2024 Six Nations.
Underhill and Ben Earl combined rather efficiently on the front foot, with the back row brothers in arms often seen linking up for a good old fashioned crash ball, in the highly physical contest. The tandem carries were interchangeable between the Bath and Saracens hard-hitters, with Underhill’s efforts receiving a resounding ovation upon his 66th minute withdrawal.
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