A good big ’un, they say, will always beat a good little ’un. South Africa brought a pack full of giants, but, against all odds, the people who ultimately dragged them to earth were also dressed in green. Had the Springboks taken even half their first-half chances they would have been way out of sight long before England’s improbable revival.
It was like watching one of those James Bond films when 007 is strapped to a table with the cackling villain pondering how best to finish him off. A massive 78% territory advantage for the visitors in the first 40 minutes told its own one-sided story, seemingly the only question being how long it would be before England cracked.
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