Back to the drawing board for second Test for disappointed England

ROAD to redemption? Road to perdition more like.

On the evidence of Saturday’s wild, erratic performance, England’s credibility as a World Cup contender has taken another significant hit.

Eddie Jones had challenged them to seize the moment and show their mettle in winning away from home in a hostile environment. But they had neither the conviction nor the cleverness to cope with the circumstances of a madcap match.

Champion sides know how to put their foot on the ball when mayhem is all around. Champion sides do not wilt or panic. And champion sides do not give up a 21-point lead established in the 17th minute, falling apart at the seams.

As the delirious South African fans streamed into the Jo’burg night, they sang along to the booming refrain “Don’t worry about a thing” from Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds. The song would not have been on Eddie Jones’s playlist.

Remember, this was not a highclass proven Springbok outfit in opposition, more a callow team looking to find itself and sketch a future together.

England were supposed to cruise along the highway and regain momentum for Japan in 15 months’ time. Instead they find themselves in a dead-end alley again, clamped in a run of four losses and without clear direction as to how they might navigate their way out of such a pickle. The blip has become something altogether more serious.

As in the Six Nations championship, they were soon blowing hard, and not just because they had run so free when scoring three tries at their seeming ease. They were flat and dishevelled thereafter, unable to get a hold on the game. More than anything they were left clutching at shadows as the Springbok revival got into full swing.

There were some bright spots: the guts and work-rate of 19-year-old openside Tom Curry and the irrepressible and idiosyncratic running of wing Jonny May.

The ploy of dispatching Elliot Daly to full-back and shunting Mike Brown to the wing began well with a try apiece but soon degenerated into a muddle with Daly making a terrible howler for S’Busiso Nkosi’s first try. Henry Slade once again failed to make a mark at outside centre.

England are under the cosh and have to regroup quickly for the second Test in Bloemfontein. There was plenty of joy in the air for the locals who thrive in these surroundings.

Ellis Park is more than a stadium to South Africans. Whether it is the inner-city badlands location that breeds a sense of edginess and hostility, or the mere fact that the World Cup was won here, is a moot point. Bricks and mortar alone ought not to faze international sportsman but it seemed to get to England.

The pre-match opening with warpainted warriors was not for the faint-hearted, all of it building to the appearance of the Springboks’ first ever black captain, Siya Kolisi.

It was a moment weighted with significance for this country where sport and politics have always been tangled together. Transformation is no token concept for new Bok coach, Rassie Erasmus, who has pledged to maintain the 50% quota target he hit in his selection for this match.

Certainly the two young wings – S’Busiso Nkosi and Aphiwe Dyantyi – with their verve and nerve, were no sop to a political strategy.

Kolisi cuts an impressive figure. He had to deal with issuing an under-theposts pep talk within 125 seconds of the start after Mike Brown’s try.

Kolisi led the charge from the front, winning turnovers and hurling his body into the fray. His teammates picked up on the vibe and responded with their clattering salvo of tries.

That there was such a switchback feel to the match reflected the unsettled nature of both teams. They have talent but they don’t have consistency. Nor do they have discipline as the 17 penalties conceded indicated. England ought to be more assured but their mid-championship blip has stripped them of confidence.

Once the Springboks got into their stride, with Willie le Roux slicing and dicing as he had done throughout the Premiership season – the epicentre of all that was menacing in the Springbok attack – England could only stand and wonder, their late riposte notwithstanding. The World Cup project is looking increasingly frayed. —