South Africa fail to turn clock back to Yokohama in England defeat | Daniel Gallan

The Springboks fought hard but were unable to dominate the contest in the way they did two years ago in the World Cup final

So much of the buildup this week recalled the events of 2 November 2019 in Yokohama. Back then, the Springbok pack scrummed England off the park, laying an indomitable foundation from which they controlled the game. When England’s backs got a sniff of the ball the South Africa defenders held the line like Spartans at Thermopylae.

For the first 20 minutes of Saturday’s contest the opposite was true. England’s outside backs regularly outmanoeuvred the Springbok rush defence, scoring tries in either corner by sucking in the peripheral wing. Kyle Sinckler, so cruelly injured in the opening exchanges of the World Cup final, helped win two penalties from the first two scrums. After taking a 14-3 lead, memories of Ellis Park 2018 and England’s 24-3 advantage came to mind.