England outclassed by seven-try South Africa in Nations Championship
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- South Africa opened with a blitz of three tries in 11 minutes through du Toit, Kolbe and Arendse, building a 17-0 lead that left Steve Borthwick's England "reeling" at Ellis Park before extending to a 45-21 win.
- England clawed back to within three points at halftime through Genge and Martin tries, but Grant Williams and Jesse Kriel scored within minutes of the restart to snuff out any comeback.
- England's discipline collapsed in the final quarter, with Tommy Freeman and Guy Pepper both sin-binned within two minutes — continuing a theme from the Six Nations where England received eight cards in five matches.
- Both sides were disrupted before kick-off: England lost full-back George Furbank to appendicitis, while South Africa withdrew captain Siya Kolisi and Eben Etzebeth through injury, yet the hosts' depth proved decisive.
- Henry Pollock, heavily hyped in South African media in the build-up, was introduced to a chorus of jeers with 20 minutes left, while replacement Henry Slade set up Alex Coles' late consolation try.
- England's Nations Championship campaign continues against Fiji at Hill Dickinson Stadium in Liverpool on 11 July, followed by a trip to face Argentina on 18 July.
Why it matters: The result is South Africa's fourth straight win over England, confirming the Springboks' status as the benchmark side Borthwick's team still cannot match. England's recurring discipline crisis — two yellow cards in two minutes here, eight in five Six Nations games earlier this year — is now a structural problem rather than a one-off, and Borthwick faces Fiji and Argentina next without a clear fix in sight.
