The minute by minute and not a minute steak

[Digby]

Minute 33

Faf sends the ball out to Green 10 who is closed down by Curry breaking off the scrum, Youngs too is drawn into the tackle and Green 10 can drop the ball off to Green 6 who's looping behind them and into the gap that's opened up between Youngs and Cipriani, nice play from SA. But now SA get it all wrong with Green 6 making a little ground before Curry and Cips converging and SA not remotely supporting the carrier on what smacks of a planned move

SA might stay in the pay but Green 11 gets in the way of Green 8 providing support, or trying to support, and Curry and Hughes do well to force a bal held up scrum turnover. Both sides are finding it hard to support even minor linebreaks, or frankly just bending the line takes you away from support.

[Digby]

Minute 34

England win the ball, Hughes passes to Youngs on the shortside (right) and Youngs belts the ball off the park and almost up to the SA 10m line. It's not been a good game for either 9, but still on balance after getting dumped on by Faf in the 1st test Youngs has been the better 9 (or least worst) since

SA win the lineout, sort of, Green 8 taps the ball down but there's no 9, Green 6 was the 9 but he's stepped toward the lineout in what I assume was intended to be a maul? Very messy play from SA

SA run a phase and Faf passes back to Green 10

[Digby]

Minute 35

Hardly the first error from Green 10, this time dropping a simple pass, Itoje gets boot to ball and it's lobbed up into the air where Robshaw gathers. Faf tries to tackle Robshaw, or actually I think tries to just slap the ball out of Robshaw's hands, it doesn't work and Robshaw makes a decent number of metres, and it's a quick cleanout by England/Itoje

Youngs looks up to play left and sees the ref in his way, but it's not too bad a block, I wouldn't be happy with the ref though. Maybe it throws Youngs and that's why Farrell is taking his pass jumping in the air with both hands above his head. Farrell tries to kick/chip into the corner for Daly to chase down the left touchline but can only kick into an SA defender in the line, Youngs gets the the rebound and pops the ball to Brown who tries to Green 14 but is caught and tackled in his step. Green 13 runs in and tries to wrap up Brown as Brown is going down but actually only ends up swinging a forearm which narrowly misses Brown's head. I don't think it was an attempted forearm smash to the back of Brown's head, but nonetheless that could have ended badly for SA and Kriel.

England now look to play back right, SA have nobody in the ruck, and England have 5 backs involved including Youngs who passes to George. George is taken low by Green 5, again there's not much arm involved and Green 5 has also put himself (accidentally) in the way of arriving English support. Green 7 tries to get over the ball and is cuddled by Hughes whilst doing so, must be close to a pen to SA, but Farrell and Launch combine to get SA 7 off his feet and only then is the ball squeezed back between George's legs

Youngs is looking both ways, Slade at 1st receiver on the shortside and Sinckler on the open. I tend to assume when a 9 keeps looking he's getting no chat about who wants the ball, in the event he passes to Sinckler. Green 5 makes the tackle and is accidentally then in the way of Youngs arriving at the breakdown and Youngs has to (or at least does) hurdle him. Slow ball, then open again to Marler who makes a little ground in contact, and then there's a pen to England for Green 2 getting himself stuck on the wrong side and not rolling away

[Digby]

Minute 36

Now happens, even though it's a simple kick

[Digby]

Minute 37

Faz kicks the 3

SA restart long to Hughes who at least runs with some intent, and makes a small amount of ground in contact. Robshaw runs another phase just to get Youngs onto his right reg for the exit play

It's a quality kick from Youngs this one, up to the England 10m line or so and tight to the touchline. So much so Vermuelen can take the catch but either puts a foot into touch or is pushed into it easily by the chase.

[Digby]

Minute 38

England shorten the lineout. but SA still compete hard and Green 4 beats Robshaw to the ball at the front. England get Robshaw higher, but Green 4 is taller and has longer arms, mainly kudos to SA, although whilst Robshaw has turned himself admirably into a very tidy lineout option he's obviously no Tom Croft.

A bit unlucky for Green 4 but his competing tap back loops a little in the air, the result is that whilst Launch and Faf are the first to react there's little Faf can do to stop the much taller man reclaiming the ball in the air. Launch even gets a much better ball presentation than some of his colleagues. Youngs gathers at the base under some pressure and sends up yet another box kick

May wins the chase and taps the ball back for England, but only to Green 7. England deserved not to win that with both Robshaw and Sinckler getting ahead of Youngs on the blindside of the ref and Robshaw was right in the area of the ball coming down too, Sinckler not so much.

Faf sends a box kick back the other way, and Hughes is a little untidy dropping the ball but dropping it backwards. He gathers and sets off on a run with the ball in one hand, but actually makes a nice offload out of the tackle away to Brown, Brown is heading for space but just gets the ball tapped out of his hand by Kriel

SA get scrum ball as Brown is judged to have knocked on. It's a bit harsh on Brown, or maybe the TV picture does Kriel poor service and he played Brown's arm to force a knock on, but it does look the wrong call

[Digby]

Minute 39

Nothing happens, there's not even an engagement in the scrum, though they are nearly ready to consenting to do something

[Digby]

Minute 40

SA win their scrum, Faf gives the ball to Green 12 who bounces Cips, Curry also gets bounced a little trying to cover but Green 12 is down. Really quick work from Curry to regain his feet and he's straight over the next breakdown, can't force a pen or turnover but the ball squirts out in awkward fashion on SA's side

SA get to the outside of our shortside defence, but Daly is just a little deeper sweeping and makes his tackle on Green 14. I thought watching it live Farrell had bit in on Cips' man not trusting Danny but actually Green 6 was an option too so Faz couldn't have been wider out.

SA make a couple more plays and Robshaw makes an interesting tackle, maybe intentionally or maybe it was all he could do, he makes a drag/soak tackle which extends the tackle area and puts the ball more towards England's side. It does allow England to contest the ball but we get pinged for going off feet, smart play from Robshaw if intentional even if the result wasn't good for us

Jantjies kicks the easy pen, though for him in this half almost nothing proved easy


England lead 6-3 at HT, and I'll be back later

[Digby]

Minute 41

England starts with a low skidding restart down into the SA 22, it presents no chance of a contest, but I suppose in the conditions it presents some chance of a handling error. Green 12 takes the ball and runs forward with commitment, he also runs into Launch and Itoje and simply gets dumped for his efforts (this will hurt, but it's better than the Hughes variant of going forward gently to cushion the blow). SA win the ruck and Faf sets for his exit kick

It's a pretty good kick from Faf, on the wrong side for a left footed kicker looking to box kick, but he keeps it in the 5m channel, it's up to halfway and Brown takes cleanly but is tackled before he can regather his feet by Green 14. Brown goes backwards in contact, and there are good body positions from Green 6 and Green 1 looking to take advantage of that, but Daly too had taken a good position over the ball and with Curry helping (and on 1.5x Curry coming in at the side a little) England protect their ball

Ball passed back to Sinckler and he's tackled where he was stood waiting for the ball. England win the ruck and without much surprise Youngs sets to make an exiting box kick. It's a bit of a shit kick as it's not remotely contestable, CIps who's leading the chase is metres away from the ball landing, but it's Green 10 under the ball and he drops it, scrum White

[Digby]

Minute 42

With the half already a minute old the front rows decide to slow the pace somewhat, and nowt happens

[Digby]

Minute 43

England win a scrum penalty. What a dire opening to this half, box kick after box kick, then nothing happens, then there's a failed technical restart and a penalty, shocking viewing, you could punish children by making them watch this dross

[Digby]

Minute 44

Faz kicks the 3

[Digby]

Minute 45

SA restart long into the England 22, not contestable, Daly takes the kick and belts it out up almost up to halfway. It was a low trajectory kick from Daly, maybe he had a gap but those will put defenders on alert for a chargedown opportunity

Brits is on to take the throw for SA which they duly win. SA pass down the line and we have a huge gap between Farrell and Slade and a big gap between Slade and May. Slade simply doesn't have the pace to cover Kriel and it's easy yards for SA before Faz gets back to make the tackle. It was a right old mess from England who managed not a lot as a team in that deefensive play other than to give up more ground than was needed, a schoolboy drift would have seen less gaps created and less ground given up.

The ball goes out to Green 17, Curry grabs him around the legs and Marler higher up, Green 17 wriggles free of both, and now England are backing up mistakes in defence. Green 17 offloads to Green 18 who makes some more yards and then presents a really fast ball

[Digby]

Minute 46

SA don't quite manage to exploit the fast ball as England have worked hard to get back into line and Farrell and then May make the next two tackles. Neither of these teams are showing they can string fast phases together to get free of a modern scramble supported by such high fitness levels.

SA come back to the open side, Green 5 on the charge into Slade, and Slade goes to tackle with the inside shoulder which also gets his head into a position on the inside of the tackle rather than the outside. I noticed as I was assuming Slade would try to tackle with the left shoulder (I realise though I don't know if he's left/right handed) and that would have put his head to the outside, though it's a tiny split-second decision for Slade in fairness. Green 5 breaks the tackle, Green 17 tries a pick and go from the next phase but there's good fringe defence from Marler and Itoje. It's not enough as SA come open and there's a kick in behind for Kriel to run onto and dot down, SA have something like a 2 or 3 man overlap too, arising as England had 4 defenders on the fringe marking space but not any actual SA players, you'd need at least 2 in case players wrapped around but 4 (or maybe 3 and the 9 without checking) seems excessive.

[Digby]

Minute 47

Jantjies adds the 2, wonders will never cease

[Digby]

Minute 48

England kick long, Vermuelen takes the ball and is running the ball back at a reasonable pace only for Curry to put him down. Faf doesn't box kick clear, hurrah, instead he pass back to Green 10 who floats a cross field kick to Green 11 who catches and sets off infield, Green 11 easily ghosts past Farrell, Cips makes the tackle. SA run a couple more phases, Slade and George try to force a held up turn over on Green 15 but he gets to ground and the ball is passed back for Green 7 to run at Marler. Again with that low tackle Marler can't give much of an impression of using his arms

[Digby]

Minute 49

Rather than just support the ruck Green 15 runs all the way around the ruck to stand on the opposite side of the ruck to the ball, and to stand smack in front of the ref before firing in from the side. Unless he has the same bookie as the Pakistan cricket team there's no easy way to explain that decision, that's less capable a piece of play than May in the scrum as he's worked harder to do that. Penalty England

[Digby]

Minute 50

Faz adds 3 more, and puts England back into the lead.

SA restarts into our 22, Daly takes the catch, evades one tackle but not the next, and we set about winning the ruck so Youngs can clear

[Digby]

Minute 51

Youngs box kicks, Vermuelen can't take the ball, England run a knock on advantage. Cips gives the ball to Farrell who fires it up the middle just into the SA 22, SA have it covered and send the ball back up the middle where Daly takes it after one bounce outside our 22. Daly kicks it back, they kick it back, Farrell kicks it back (May falls over going past 2 SA players, no idea if he was really blocked or trying to con a pen, but we're left waiting for them to run the ball back or Faz to make a crap load of ground from his kick to put 13 players onside)

Can't tell from the camera work what happens to put us onside but Jantjies kicks the ball back with Hughes closing in, and Brown takes that kick before sending a kick back

SA and England are playing out there own version of the Chuckle Brothers routine, to me, to you, it's hard to say which is less enjoyable

[Digby]

Minute 52

SA tire first of all the kicking and Green 15 and Green 23 try to work the shortside, but WLR only sends the return pass to Brown, ball from Brown to Farrell to Robshaw, we control the ruck and Youngs is back to kicking the ball away.

SA try to run a phase but only go backwards, Faf box kicks up to the halfway, but Green 15 is pinged for offside. It's a bloody harsh call, yes he's in front but the ref spots him and he's walking not chasing. If they want to go after everyone in front moving without being played onside fine, but by any normal standard of reffing he's not affecting play.

[Digby]

Minute 53

Nowt happens

[Digby]

Minute 54

Daly can't make the kick for 3, SA with the dropout

Green 10 sends a lofted punt out toward the right touchline, Itoje gets the first hand on it and pushes it back on the England side. Nobody on the SA side took a gamble running in on the England side so it's an easier gather and Brown gets past Brits who's rather slipped over. Brown tackled, ball laid back, Cips has it and passes onto Robshaw which is given as a forward pass. Again feck me that's harsh, sure it's flat but in a game with almost no rugby to be blowing up for a setpiece when if it was forward it's a marginal call and them some, what's the sodding point of that, shut the fuck up Mr Referee, please, sir

[Digby]

Minute 55

At least the scrum is over fairly quickly, it goes down but it's playable for SA and the ball is out to Kriel who's making ground so decides to kick the ball away. England (I think it was Brown but can't be bothered to check) gather the kick into the 22 and wallop it back, with SA having been on attack there's less depth coverage so the ball finds grass and takes a kind/unkind bounce into touch a little out from the SA 22.

[Digby]

Minute 56

SA get Green 4 up in the air at the front just ahead of the ball coming in, England don't contest but getting the jumper up that quickly would likely ensure no contest anyway. Nothing to worry about as every team must get away with a lot of those.

Green 4 can't get the ball back to the player he wants to set the maul and ends up lobbing it to Brits, Brits is caught by Robshaw, the ball gets to Faf who throws a big infield pass (SA under pressure he down to Kriel kicking the ball away when they were making ground on attack). SA run a couple of phases, possibly get set for another Faf box kick but he gets a shout from Green 10 and passes the ball back, Green 10 makes a clearing kick but it's touched in flight and the ball is caught by England on the edge of the 22. England aren't able to get control the of the play and are going backwards but at least keep the ball

[Digby]

Minute 57

From a ruck there's a minor offside against Faf, he does run up but doesn't do anything, though it can slow play and isn't ignored. What is ignored is the minor neck roll by Wilson on Green 4, nothing dangerous but I'm pretty sure it's an arm around the neck and not torso. Farrell and Daly try a blindside move which is a reasonable effort but there's a handling breakdown and we're back for the pen