The minute by minute and not a minute steak

[Digby]

Minute 22

SA go left again, Marler and George make he tackle and Marler isn't exactly a million miles from a no arms tackle. SA head back to the right and after avoiding Marler their play is slowed as Faf makes yet another mistake with a pass finding grass. SA recover and Green 5 gets a pass from Faf and waits to draw in Launch and Itoje and gets a nice pass away to Green 3, but by dint of Green 3 making a few metres he makes it a touch harder to support the break, Marler gets over the ball and forces a pen for holding on even if I've some sympathy with the idea he's not supporting his body weight

Edit - Farrell fecks up the kick to touch but gets lucky as SA proceed to kick the ball out on the full to cover for a dodgy pen clearing kick

[Puja]

I think Hughes just looked at Faf and thought, "I bet I could run over him." And, if he'd done so and made any metres at all, it would've been a good choice to reset from a reversing scrum. Unfortunately, there's a good reason why not everyone reacts to that situation by assuming you can walk over an international scrum half. There's a line about egos writing cheques which seems apposite.

I'd be interested to know your opinion on the rewatch of Curry's defence - I have an impression of it having been very light-weight and passive (and occasionally ineffectual) in this game and I'd be curious to know if that's fair.

Puja

[Digby]

Going left from a scrum is always something to be careful of, doing it from a scrum going backwards when you haven't got the ball under control and you're not running forwards lends you to the cock up Hughes made. I bet Hughes could run over Faf, but he'd have to run at him

[Digby]

And Curry I think is physical enough, but needs to adapt to the speed of test rugby, he needs quicker decisions and quicker footwork to allow him to survive better in contact

[Digby]

Minute 23

England win the lineout, watching live I thought SA had contested with an outside arm but as so often I was wrong, Green 5 used the inside arm and then the other arm came up after the contest was won/lost. England move the ball out to Hughes and he goes into and wins contact aided by Curry, it's something I like in both Currys game how they support the actions of the previous man in.

England make another supported carry and get over the gain line, than switch the play with Farrell at 10 who pulls the ball back to Cips, it's a nice pass to Daly who has no trouble putting Brown into space down the touchline. Brown bounces the first man but then gets turned over on the floot by Green 14, England might want to claim Green 14 was a tackler assist and there was no release but he's at most minor assist and between Brown, Daly and Slade we need to do more to support our own ball. I suppose Slade and Daly will say they were making runs to support on the shoulder and thus were running past rather than supporting the tackle, and in fairness Brown does have a long and proud history of making passes and not as in this case tucking the ball under one arm so it's clear why they assumed the ball would be kept alive

Faf kicks the ball out. Daly tries to claim SA carried the ball back into their 22 but he's full of poop with that claim

[Digby]

Minute 24

England win the lineout, Cips passes to Hughes and we've both played to the centre and actually had Hughes carry forward in contact. Then it's Maro's turn and he only makes the tackle line before Sinckler goes and makes a metre, then Robshaw and he spills the ball in contact, tough conditions though, hardly the same crime as all the handling errors in the previous two games.

Faf kicks clear and with it not being an especially long kick this means there are lots of player from both sides there to watch the ball come down, Robshaw palms it back, Green 2 has run around to be in a position to take the knock back by England but knocks on trying to gather

[Digby]

Minute 25

Nowt happens

[Digby]

Minute 26

40 seconds into the minute England win a freekick without the ball even going into the scrum, it's basically 2 minutes of the front rows ensuring sod all happens.

Hughes taps and goes, he wins contact but it's not fast presentation with the ball squeezed back between the legs. Sinckler makes a parity carry, and then Cips drops the ball off to Daly cutting back the other way, Daly drops it to Farrell in the middle of the pitch and Farrell dinks a kick out right where May catches

[Digby]

Minute 27

A reasonable run from May, and then another from Hughes creates a blindside England can use, Youngs has been looking for this move a few times and not found it for a number of reasons, now England are well set with Slade, Curry and May Vs Green 6 and 11

Green 11 gets up in out line to put pressure on the Slade pass, and Slade's pass is intercepted. It's not a great decision from Slade who really with the pass being blocked wants to run into the gap on the outside of Green 6s shoulder with Green 11 stepping up, and then ideally break the line or pass the ball out of the tackle, or he could even try to pass the ball over Green 11, in any event it's again not Slade's finest hour

Green 6 carries the ball up, but Curry forces a penalty turnover, as with Green 14 before there's a maybe that there's no release with the same caveat he's barely an assist tackler. Like many other players I'm not convinced Curry can be supporting his weight but it's hardly unusual to get away with it and clearly it's not proving easy to support in this game

Daly takes the pen, presumably as he's both left footed and suddenly rather weirdly a more accurate kicker than Cips. Daly fucks up and it's a scrum to SA

[Digby]

Should get a chance to do more of these tomorrow afternoon

[Raggs]

I think Hughes just looked at Faf and thought, "I bet I could run over him." And, if he'd done so and made any metres at all, it would've been a good choice to reset from a reversing scrum. Unfortunately, there's a good reason why not everyone reacts to that situation by assuming you can walk over an international scrum half. There's a line about egos writing cheques which seems apposite.

I'd be interested to know your opinion on the rewatch of Curry's defence - I have an impression of it having been very light-weight and passive (and occasionally ineffectual) in this game and I'd be curious to know if that's fair.

Puja

I think Hughes was juggling the ball and trying to get round Youngs, I doubt he was thinking much about Faf at that point, rather than just trying to hold onto the ball.

Faf has a history for big hits though, I'm sure he's put one in in super rugby, but there's this one, which for me is ridiculously impressive:

[Digby]

Which does leave 2 questions, why break left, and why set off before he had the ball under control? I agree he wasn't thinking about Faf but it's rare you help yourself by running sideways hoping time is your friend

[Raggs]

Which does leave 2 questions, why break left, and why set off before he had the ball under control? I agree he wasn't thinking about Faf but it's rare you help yourself by running sideways hoping time is your friend

It was a bad decision and bad skills from Hughes.

[Digby]

Sometimes the 8 is stopped by the 9, really stopped, and it even happens to good number 8s of course

[Stom]

To be honest, I would just show that to all the England players. I mean, the aim of both players is to get under the other one. As soon as you're underneath you have the power to do what you want. So these bloody chest high tackles are always going to concede ground. Yes, I know they're trying to force a turnover but a proper tackle is just as effective, if not more so considering the sudden stopping of momentum.

I was always coached that if you can get underneath them, the smallest guy can put down the biggest with good technique. Even I, the tiny scaredy cat, managed to put down a few in my days.

[Digby]

Which does leave 2 questions, why break left, and why set off before he had the ball under control? I agree he wasn't thinking about Faf but it's rare you help yourself by running sideways hoping time is your friend

It was a bad decision and bad skills from Hughes.

I would like to know did he run left to set up the next kick for Youngs assuming Faf would be no problem, you don't tend to run that way specifically because the 9 is there, okay if the left shoulder is up it's different but our left shoulder had more collapsed. So was he just not thinking, or do they really not discuss what they want to achieve in certain scenarios?

It's important to say it's not all on Hughes, the pack have been stuffed in the setpiece and we've not been able to claw our way back from being under pressure, but Hughes shouldn't have been under pressure

[Puja]

Which does leave 2 questions, why break left, and why set off before he had the ball under control? I agree he wasn't thinking about Faf but it's rare you help yourself by running sideways hoping time is your friend

It was a bad decision and bad skills from Hughes.

I would like to know did he run left to set up the next kick for Youngs assuming Faf would be no problem, you don't tend to run that way specifically because the 9 is there, okay if the left shoulder is up it's different but our left shoulder had more collapsed. So was he just not thinking, or do they really not discuss what they want to achieve in certain scenarios?

It's important to say it's not all on Hughes, the pack have been stuffed in the setpiece and we've not been able to claw our way back from being under pressure, but Hughes shouldn't have been under pressure

Digby's pretty much hit the nail on the head - he's made the decision to go left and go on his own, with the assumption that he won't get into trouble. Its his ego causing problems again.

Puja

[Digby]

Minute 28

Time to get a few in early doors, so

The ball just gets into the scrum with seconds to spare, SA look for a shove but England hold and the ball is at the base waiting for Green 8 or 9

[Raggs]

Joined up thinking is how it always comes up in my head. England lack it. From kicks with the chasers in the ruck just in front, Robshaw/Sinckler leading kick chases, to little one out pop passes whilst running a 2 man pod, meaning no support to the forward who's now making yards away from the rest of the support.

OK, set piece is easier, but just compare to the genius lineout from NZ against the French. Quick one to the front, no jump/lifter, setup the maul and score. It's so quick that half the French pack cannot get back in time to join the maul before it's over the line. Well thought out, with clear aims and intentions from each step, achieving the desired result.

Puja, he's made a bad decision, but you seem awfully quick to put it on his ego, when it could just have been he didn't think about what was coming next because he was under pressure at the back and just wanted to get going, and that's the direction his leg position led him to.

[Digby]

It was a bad decision and bad skills from Hughes.

I would like to know did he run left to set up the next kick for Youngs assuming Faf would be no problem, you don't tend to run that way specifically because the 9 is there, okay if the left shoulder is up it's different but our left shoulder had more collapsed. So was he just not thinking, or do they really not discuss what they want to achieve in certain scenarios?

It's important to say it's not all on Hughes, the pack have been stuffed in the setpiece and we've not been able to claw our way back from being under pressure, but Hughes shouldn't have been under pressure

Digby's pretty much hit the nail on the head - he's made the decision to go left and go on his own, with the assumption that he won't get into trouble. Its his ego causing problems again.

Puja

But the assumption you won't find trouble is found by going right. So does he overlook that? I assume he doesn't think one pass and Brown will go the length! I'd accept he's going left to set up a kick and/or doesn't play to the middle as any pen is closer in front of our posts, but it is one of those moments I'm actually interested in 'why'?

Perhaps the worst would be he just did it, and wasn't thinking, which is not a good trait in one of the teams main TDMs, you really don't want them to make passive plays when under pressure, that's just shovelling shit ball down the line

[Digby]

Minute 29

Vermuelen breaks from the base, Curry runs up and it's not he's refusing to make a left shoulder tackle, he simply goes to ground too quickly to get any real force into the tackle, but it's enough to send green 8 down and they were only going sideways. SA go right, they might have kicked by Faf is all left foot. Ball back to Green 10, not a great pass from Faf but it's an aimless kick from Green 10, utterly uncontestable an lands 20m infield.

Brown gets the ball from May and sets off with the ball tucked under one arm, he briefly seems to consider changing the ball position and passing but goes with the default. He really should have been let in on the secret of carrying in two hands if he was going to play test rugby.

Cips and May are the bodies stopping a counter ruck, May is busy not paying attention and Cips gets driven into by Green 5. Farrell had gone into 9 but doesn't play the ball and leaves it for Youngs, Cips loses contact with Green 5 (hardly a surprise) and with Cips going backwards the ball gets kicked out the back. I understand why Green 5 drove into Cips and not Launchbury, I can't say I understand why May is looking to all points of the field instead of making sure he has Cips back creating a much stronger position over the ball. Youngs gathers anyway, and nobody on the SA side is showing McCaw like awareness the ball is out. England run a couple of phases just to get Youngs set on his right foot to kick clear

Now an awful kick from Youngs, started off 15m in and ended up 15m in, chase led by Brown and George. Green 14 takes the catch and Brown makes the tackle

[Digby]

Minute 30

SA go right from the tackle/ruck to the shortside

Green 4 takes the tackle from Launch and Robshaw and makes a nice offload out of the tackle, but it's wet, neither of these teams is showing much in the way of handling and Green 13 spills the ball forward.

George gather the ball and gives it to Youngs who throws it to a back pedalling Cips who heads toward the line drawing a defender (Green 7) onto him and the wider line up, he has an option to pass but sends a kick off the outside of his boot toward the SA 22, not a bad idea but it's not wide enough to get down into coffin corner. Green 10 gather outside the 22 and kicks the ball out on the full, more crap from Green 10

There really should be a lineout given the time left in the minute but there isn't as England are just so slow to have a chat and meander in. I'd like the ref to award SA a freekick given how little interest England have in playing their own ball.

[Digby]

Minute 31

England grace us by consenting to put the ball back into play only 45 seconds or so later, and it's not a messy lineout as we've shortened it so we were just really slow getting there and getting the ball in. If we're going to break up play in this fashion there's really no point Eddie and the squad talking about how they want to be the #1 side, the fittest side, to stress teams etc, it's just not credible when you're so slow on your own attack.

Launch wins the lineout by sending a one handed slap down to Youngs, the ball finds Youngs. Launch wasn't I think stable at the top of his jump, timing issues with thrower and lifters, I'm going to argue it's the champagne moment of the game as that slap back could easily go 5m either side of Youngs but Launch finds his man, that's either blind luck or real skill.

Ball out to Hughes and he's met and easily out down on the tackle line. Hughes isn't exactly carrying with venom, that said he's met by both SA flankers, they both lineup Hughes and aren't fussed about Cips or Marler getting the ball.

England head back right from the ruck with Youngs trying to find May and the ball is knocked on. This isn't scripted play as Launch and Itoje have just made it around to the openside from the lineout and had they known Youngs was going to play back toward the touchlne they could have run many metres less and been in a better position to support. Even had the pass to May stuck it wasn't the right pass from Youngs

SA get the spilled ball wide, lovely hands from Green 5, and Kriel burns Slade and closes on Brown with Green 14 outside him. Kriel ins't the first in this match to shit the bed rather than execute basics, but he passes to Green 14 with committing Brown and it's not like Slade will catch him. Green 14 doesn't have space and kicks ahead, Mike Brown has the chance to claim he was already committed to the tackle on the winger but doesn't put him down and Green 14 joins Green 13 in chasing the kick ahead, it's a bad miss by Brown

May wins the race back to the ball and it sits up enough he can take it without getting caught, May manages to run across the pitch and make a clearing kick, SA are working very hard to get to him but the boy is stupidly quick even on this pitch. (Green 14 of course should never have been permitted as part of the chase, that was Jonathan Webb levels of defending from Brown)

It's a lineout to SA between the England 10m and 22

[Digby]

There will now be a short interval, of say 7 hours, longer on the off chance the kid wants to speak to me after school.

[Digby]

Minute 32

England give up a freekick at the lineout for closing the gap and SA take the scrum.

SA get the ball into the scrum and it's held at Vermuelen's feet