May’s electric but Eddie’s in dark
THIS was a tour in which only five players – Jonny May, Danny Cipriani, Joe Marler, Maro Itoje and Tom Curry – made a significant impact. That was not close to being a good enough return against a South Africa side which started the series without a single settled combination. The 2-1 series defeat to the Springboks has left Eddie Jones with more questions than answers. Before the Autumn he has to fix a misfiring pack, as well as a backline in which his key decisionmakers failed to make the tactical adjustments necessary to capitalise on a 21 point lead in the first Test in Johannesburg.
This meant that for all May’s electric running England finished on the wrong end of the ledger in a series they should have won.
Mako Vunipola 5
Tough tour. Targeted by the Springboks from the outset as England’s best front five ball-carrier and didn’t make his usual headway. Sin-bin and penalty try costly in first two Tests. Rating 5 /10
Joe Marler 6.5
England’s best loosehead scrummager, and one of the standouts in the Cape Town win. Jones has to work out how to get the best from him – which is not the five minutes he had at Ellis Park. Rating 6.5 /10
Ellis Genge
Let’s hope he learned from the experience as a dirt-tracker because England need explosive ball carriers among their tight five. Returned home early with a leg Rating N/A
Alec Hepburn
Arrived in South Africa as a late replacement for Genge and Mako Vunipola. Provided cover on the bench at Newlands, but saw no action with Marler digging-in impressively for the full 80. Rating N/A
Kyle Sinckler
Not dominant, but gritted teeth to get the jump on Mtawarira for penalty in the final Test. Big error popping-up when England conceded the crucial penalty try that settled the second Test. Rating 5 /10
Harry Williams
Solid stint off the bench in all three Tests from the big Exeter tighthead. Looked more comfortable than Sinkler at the scrum, and got the nudge on the SA front row a couple of times. Rating 5.5 /10
Jamie George
Not able to make the impact in the loose he did in New Zealand this time last year for the Lions, and set-piece sound, but not failsafe. Requires a proper break to recharge before the new season. Rating 5.5 /10
Luke Cowan-Dickie
Power carrier on occasions, but did not offer the energy off the bench that his counterpart, Akker van der Merwe, did for the Boks. Line-out misses less frequent but still present. Rating 5 /10
Maro Itoje
Showed character to battle his way through third season syndrome. Recovered from bad miss on De Klerk in Jo’burg to get in the face of the Bok pack. Easily England’s best line-out forward. Rating 7 /10
Joe Launchbury
Not the game-changer he was touted to be in Bloemfontein, but got into his stride in the slower, wet conditions in Cape Town as the England pack finally got to grips with South Africa. Rating 5.5 /10
Jonny Hill
Given the thumbs up by forwards coach Steve Borthwick before the final Test but, unfortunately, did not get on the pitch. Pity – because he could have been England’s RG Snyman. Rating N/A
Nick Isiekwe
Too much asked too soon. Debatable starting selection at Ellis Park by the head coach, and being subbed early for Shields at Ellis Park will have dented him – but was not making inroads. Rating 4 /10
Brad Shields
Big ask to come on at lock, where he rarely plays, for Test debut. Did well considering, and at 6 in the second Test was unlucky not to score after driving to the line. Then food poisoning struck… Rating 5.5 /10
Chris Robshaw
Peripheral at Ellis Park, finding it hard to make his presence felt in fast high veld conditions, but after Shields was laid low he was in his element scrapping on the slow, wet Newlands pitch. Rating 5.5 /10
Mark Wilson
Made a good impression off the bench in last two Tests. His charge-down led to Cipriani’s match clinching diagonal kick for May at Newlands. Messed with South Africa around the fringes. Rating 5.5 /10
Tom Curry
The young Sale openside started every Test and improved over the series, becoming smarter and more effective over the ball. Won two turn-overs in Cape Town, and linked and tackled soundly. Rating 6.5 /10
Ben Earl
Will have his sights set on challenging Curry for the Red Rose 7 shirt, but first he will have to use the tour experience to become the regular starting openside for Saracens this season. Rating N/A
Sam Simmonds
Third in the No.8 pecking order, with Hughes deputising when Billy Vunipola was injured midway through the second Test. Jones has limited his scope by refusing to consider him at 7. Rating N/A
Billy Vunipola
Not back to his tank-like best before re-injuring his forearm midway through the Bloemfontein Test and being invalided home. Some gain-line momentum, but did not batter the Springboks. Rating 6 /10
Nathan Hughes
Disappointing tour for the Wasps No.8. Short of match-fitness, made few big inroads around the fringes, or big turn-over tackles. Mighty mouse De Klerk's tackle on him Rating 4 /10
Ben Youngs
Outplayed by Faf de Klerk and not commanding enough for a near 80 Test scrum-half. Not helped by static ball, but little threat round fringes, laboured service, and too many hit-or-miss box kicks. Rating 4.5 /10
Ben Spencer
Four minutes in Jo’burg and 10 in Bloemfontein is not enough for any sort of accurate assessment. No glaring errors and no chance to show his sprinting Rating 4 /10
Dan Robson
Hard to understand why he did not get a clubpairing chance alongside Cipriani in Cape Town at some stage, but Spencer was chosen understudy. Unexplored option in misfiring area. Rating N/A
Danny Cipriani
High mark given that he received just five passes in the first-half in Cape Town – but stuck it out and produced a sublime cross-kick, with a favourable bounce for May, to end the losing streak. Rating 6.5 /10
George Ford
His passing at the start of the first two Tests was excellent, but his tactical appreciation after that was deficient for a top 10. No England team should squander a 20 point lead like the one at Ellis Park. Rating 5.5 /10
Owen Farrell (capt)
A conundrum, because it’s 4 for captaincy, and 8.5 for goal-kicking. England should have pegged South Africa back with astute kicking to win the first Test. They failed, and then it was uphill. Rating 6.5 /10
Alex Lozowski
Seems a travesty given his form during the season not to get a run at 12 or 13 during the series. Defensively stronger than Slade, and also faster, but didn’t even get a place on the bench. Rating N/A
Henry Slade
A couple of great passes to put runners away, but defensively he has big improvements to make. Has to make his tackles stick – South Africa cracked his channel open almost at will. Rating 4 /10
Piers Francis
His Barbarians credit saw him get four minutes off the bench at Ellis Park. Another England back who is a Jack of all trades but has to find a position Rating 4 /10
Jonny May
His electric finishing, with a try in every Test, justifiably made him the player of the series. Faster than anyone in Springbok colours, and his try-scoring instincts were honed to a fine point. Rating 9 /10
Denny Solomona
A bit-part role. On for the last five minutes in Jo’burg and Cape Town, and almost a quarter of an hour in Bloemfontein, but unable to cut loose as a super sub as in Argentina a year ago. Rating 4 /10
Nathan Earle
The Harlequins-bound winger spent his tour on the training ground while Springboks of a similar age like Nkosi and Dyantyi were blooded at Test level. Rating N/A
Mike Brown
Made a good fist of it on the wing displaying trademark tenacity and eyeballs-out determination. Finished strongly for tries in the first two Tests, but his high-ball work was not as good as usual. Rating 6 /10
Elliot Daly
His switch to full-back was not an unqualified success, although his try in the first Test sugested what might be. However, a sprinkling of defensive glitches showed his lack of experience at 15. Rating 5.5 /10
Jason Woodward
Gloucester’s Kiwi-born full back did not get the chance to stake his claim at Test level, but exposure to Scott Wisemantel’s coaching should be a bonus Rating N/A
Coaches
THE Eddie Jones prediction of a 3-0 series win went up in smoke at Ellis Park as England threw away a 24-3 lead, and the head coach seemed powerless to stop the slide. The tour highlighted that Jones’ selection strategy is not the unassailable strength he believes it is, with backrower Brad Shields making his debut at lock, and Danny Cipriani and Joe Marler being gainfully employed only once the series was lost. Forwards coach Steve Borthwick is under pressure because England’s line-out drive remains static and ineffective, while body positions in contact, breakdown clearance, and counter-rucking are all below par. Scrum coach Neal Hatley is under duress, too, with the Red Rose pack conceding a match-turning scrum penalty try in Bloemfontein, while the defence also leaked eight tries during the series – although that is no longer the concern of the Harlequins-bound Paul Gustard. Rating 4 /10