England scrape past Springboks
By Michael Wise
Last Updated: 29/07/24 7:30am
A late try from Phil Vickery set up a narrow a 23-21 England win against South Africa.
A try eight minutes from time from Phil Vickery allowed England to scrape home with a 23-21 victory against South Africa at Twickenham.
With the unwelcome mantle of the worst team in the country's history about to be bestowed upon them, England's players thus narrowly avoided a record-breaking eighth successive defeat.
It was perhaps fortunate for Andy Robinson and his men that, faced with such a statistic, they were also facing a South Africa side who had lost their previous five away matches.
But it was Jake White's men who led for the majority of the match, the Springboks gaining impetus as the first half progressed and gaining points as a result of English defensive errors.
None was worse than the woeful clearance from Ben Cohen which led directly to South Africa's first try, scored by Butch James four minutes before half time.
England's problems were all-too-apparent, with fly-half Charlie Hodgson and centres Jamie Noon and Mathew Tait not appearing synchronised behind the scrum.
The Sale number 10 again appeared lacking in confidence before being carried off moments before half time with a knee injury.
Two tackles from Josh Lewsey prevented England from falling even further behind, before Akona Ndugane's first try for his country increased the Springboks' advantage.
England made full use of a man advantage early in the second half, with Mark Cueto replying before frenzied attempts to find another way through again fell short.
But South Africa's defensive wall eventually subsided in the 72nd minute when replacement prop Vickery burst from a ruck to touch down.
Early England pressure from the kick-off led to the first penalty of the match, with Hodgson making the most of a difficult opportunuty to give the home nation a 3-0 lead.
However, a decidedly late tackle by a fired-up Martin Corry on James then allowed the Springbok fly-half the perfect opportunity to level.
Hodgson's second penalty attempt two minutes later drifted left of the posts, but England were, at his stage, showing good ball retention and putting together a succession of phases.
But a Hodgson pass to Tait in the 12th minute was intercepted and Jean De Villiers made a break for the line. Lewsey got back with a vital tackle, with the Springbok centre's knee being adjudged to have been in touch as he crossed over.
A let off for Hodgson. Quick-witted work by Tom Palmer then placed England in prime attacking territory, with Hodgson deaf to the boos which greeted Corry's decision to take the three points as he scored his second penalty.
Conversely, a penalty on 21 minutes brought a cheer as the decision was taken to go for the line. However, good work from De Villiers allowed James to clear.
The Springboks then broke with De Villiers feeding Ndungane, the winger splitting Pat Sanderson and Noon.
The pressure only partially relieved by two poor clearances from Lewsey, with opposing full back Francois Steyn then levelling matters with a 45-metre drop goal effort.
The mid period of the half saw South Africa gaining in confidence, with Lewsey again to the rescue by tackling the line-bound Steyn after John Smit's deft offload deceived England's first line of defence.
Steyn then missed a long range penalty but the first try came moments later, Cohen's poor kick allowing South Africa to work the ball left.
De Villiers fended off challenges on the flank before his final ball released James, the fly-half diving over triumphantly before converting.
Hodgson had been injured in South Africa's scoring play, with Andy Goode coming on as replacement.
Steyn missed a penalty with the last play of the opening half, with England being booed off in the face of a 6-13 deficit.
South Africa began the second half with a beautiful try, Ndungane touching down after James' delicate chip, with the latter failing to convert.
England were resorting to route one tactics, the home side uncoordinated again as Goode's pass to Tait fell short with England looking primed for a breakthrough.
With De Villiers sin-binned, England again pressed for the line, a potential overlap being thwarted by the alertness of Smit.
The fightback began in the 48th minute when, following a break from Richards, Goode dived for the line but lost the ball in the process. However, quick reactions from Cueto allowed the winger to touch down.
Goode converted, with Steyn missing a penalty opportunity five minutes later that would have put South Africa more than a try and conversion ahead.
A powerful approach from Wynand Olivier almost sent Steyn over in the 55th minute, with England's defence muscling the young full-back into touch.
However, James converted the resulting penalty before being replaced by Pretorius.
A full 20 phases of England possession followed, but every move was comfortably matched by the opposing defence before Richards conceded a penalty.
But Goode pulled the deficit back to five points on 67 minutes after South Africa conceded a penalty for not releasing the ball.
Now within a try of levelling the match, England were suddenly inspired, their all-out offensive yielding the required result when Vickery wriggled through for his second international score.
Goode's conversion handed England the lead, with the home side successfully protecting their precious advantage during the final minutes.
