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England take on South Africa at a rain-soaked Twickenham and the big question is, can they record their first win over the Springboks since 2006? Will they take a step forward towards World Cup glory, or will the rot from the All Blacks defeat set in even further? We're moments from kick-off at HQ.
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| 1 |
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Owen Farrell kicks off for England and Willie Le Roux gathers before passing to Duane Vermeulen. England need about four men to bring him down but the Springboks eventually ship the ball into touch. They gather the line-out and then secure a penalty, but it's all in the tourists' half so far.
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| 4 |
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There's a stalemate in the middle of the pitch with neither side able to move the ball out of the fowards. England eventually secure some decent territory in the Springbok half, forcing a scrum 10 metres out. The Boks secure their own ball and clear to touch.
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| 6 |
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The Springboks take a line-out too quickly and referee Steve Walsh isn't happy. Naught naughty. England earn a penalty and Farrell boots them back into South Africa's half.
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| 8 |
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Oh dear... sound the comedy trumpets. Veteran lock Victor Matfield leaps to claim a high ball and, umm, fumbles it straight into touch. Must be something to do with the pouring rain. England gather the line-out just inside the Bok half and work the ball out wide to Jonny May on the right wing.
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| 9 |
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Was that the wisest decision Owen?! The England fly-half gathers the ball under his own posts and, rather than hoof it away, he chooses to run it out of his 22. Good work, up to that point. Rather than take the second opportunity to boot it into touch, Faz flicks the ball inside to Anthony Watson, who is then mobbed by Bok tacklers. South Africa claim the ball and work it into the hands of Bryan Habana, who chucks it inside to no one in particular and the Boks knock on. England could have been 5-0 down there, very easily.
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| 10 |
0 - 3 |
South Africa draw first blood as Pat Lambie steps up to slap a penalty between the posts.
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| 15 |
0 - 10 |
What a terrible way to mark your 50th cap. Danny Care tries to fire a pass out of a ruck to Kyle Eastmond inside South Africa's half, but he takes too long over it and Jan Serfontein intercepts. The Bok centre runs half the length of the pitch to score under the posts. Too many mistakes from England so far.
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| 18 |
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Ooph, the size of some of the collisions in this match so far. The forwards on both sides are just launching themselves into each other. Making for an entertaining spectacle, but drawing plenty of handling errors on the slippery Twickenham surface.
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| 21 |
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That was far more like it from England. Billy Vunipola blasts forward with an excellent carry and England march deep into Bok territory.
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| 22 |
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Courtney Lawes charges down an attempted clearance, but Vermeulen is on hand to gather again for South Africa. The pressure's on the Bok defence, then up steps skipper Jean de Villiers to smash the ball out from the most difficult of angles. He puts it back on halfway.
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| 24 |
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Is this the same England team that kicked off 20 minutes ago? Dave Attwood goes barrelling towards the Bok line and offloads to Watson. He scurries through a couple of Bok legs before being brought down. Care then works the ball through the phases out to May on the left wing. He can't quite repeat the heroics displayed against the All Blacks and is brought down with the line in sight, but England have an advantage and claim the penalty inside the Bok 22.
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| 26 |
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Courtney Lawes has been resting up this week after taking a bang to the head against New Zealand last week, but he's been throwing himself around as though this is the last rugby match he'll ever play!
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| 27 |
3 - 10 |
Points on the board for England. Owen Farrell wastes little time in slotting a penalty.
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| 28 |
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| 29 |
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The scoreline's certainly not reflecting territory at the moment. England have been camped in the Bok half, but the tourists clear and Mike Brown makes the mark.
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| 30 |
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| 31 |
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The rain is still coming down but it's a lot lighter here at Twickenham. Hint of sunshine poking through the clouds too.
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| 32 |
3 - 13 |
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| 35 |
6 - 13 |
England hit back almost immediately as Vermeulen is penalised for being offside. Farrell makes no mistake from 35m out.
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| 37 |
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Spare a thought for Lambie there. Penalty to the right of the posts, around 40m out, and he absolutely shanks it. Misses wide left. Wide, wide left.
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| 39 |
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That's just a bit too messy from England there. Farrell tries to work the ball out to the right wing, but England turn back inside and seem to be treating the ball like a hot potato. Barritt, to Lawes, to Hartley, to Brown - all juggling the ball as though they've never seen one before. Brown ends up booting it over JP Pietersen's head on South Africa's right wing, but he turns to gather and feed Wille le Roux, who smashes it into touch.
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| 40 |
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Half-time and England trail South Africa by seven points. The home side really haven't made their advantage on the stats front count so far.
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Right then. Stuart Lancaster will surely have been telling his men to be more clinical in the second-half, while Heyneke Meyer might have been calling for more of the same. But if the Springboks step it up a level, they could be a long way out of reach. 40 minutes of crunch rugby coming up.
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| 40 |
6 - 18 |
And just as the wax-jacket brigade were taking their seats for the start of the second-half, South Africa score! Pat Lambie knocks over a delightful chip to turn the England defence. Willie le Roux gathers and draws Billy Vunipola in. He offloads to Jacobus Reinach, who slides over for the Boks' second try.
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| 41 |
6 - 20 |
Lambie - conversion
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| 43 |
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| 44 |
11 - 20 |
Ah ha! Could this be the turning of the tide? Matfield is binned and England win the lineout in his absence. The Red Rose make their extra-man advantage count by shoving big Dave Wilson over for their first try, and the prop's first in international rugby. Game on, surely...!
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| 45 |
13 - 20 |
Farrell - conversion
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| 47 |
18 - 20 |
It is game on! England gather a Dylan Hartley line-out and go rumbling towards the Bok line. Ben Morgan, on but moments ago for Vunipola, barges through a sea of green shirts to flop over the line, grounding the ball on the second attempt.
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| 48 |
20 - 20 |
Farrell - conversion
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| 49 |
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There's a degree of controversy about England's line-out that led to Morgan's try. Bryan Habana apparently took it into touch, if you believe referee Steve Walsh, but it didn't look as though he grounded his boot.
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| 53 |
20 - 25 |
Even down to 14 men, South Africa are still dangerous. Protected by Marcell Coetzee, Schalk Burger carries the ball off the back of a maul, brushes aside England wing Jonny May and crashes over the line to restore the Bok advantage.
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| 56 |
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Anthony Watson drops an easy catch and is indebted to Ben Morgan, who comes in to make an excellent tackle on England's right wing. He's been an excellent introduction.
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| 59 |
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Watson's ability under the high ball is again put under pressure. South Africa work the ball through the phases up front before Willie le Roux picks it up on the Boks' right wing. He launches a cross-field kick towards Habana, who leaps above Watson and only a knock on from the South African wing spares the young Englishman's blushes.
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| 60 |
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It's always Dylan, isn't it? England trundle forward via a maul, but there's a South African shirt on the floor really getting in the way. Hartley gives him a few slaps on the thigh to tell him to, err, 'get out of the way'. The Bok - Duane Vermeulen - doesn't, and so Hartley resorts to a dose of shoe-pie. Walsh has a quick chat with the TMO and decides to issue the England hooker with a yellow card.
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| 62 |
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Owen Farrell is struggling out there. He appears to be hobbling, maybe with cramp, but he's certainly in some discomfort.
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| 64 |
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Farrell is duly replaced by George Ford.
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| 66 |
20 - 28 |
Lambie boots South Africa two scores clear from the right touchline.
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| 67 |
23 - 28 |
George Ford quickly cancels out Lambie's penalty. On for Farrell, the Bath 10 launches an excellent restart and Chris Robshaw goes flying in to try to reclaim possession. He trips, it's all a bit of a mess and South Africa concede the penalty, with Bismarck du Plessis the man pinged. Ford steps up to calmly slot the kick and England are back in touch.
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| 68 |
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| 69 |
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| 70 |
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| 72 |
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Sin bin is over and England are back up to 15. Mike Brown jumps to take a high ball for England and is very nearly cleaned out in the air by Willie le Roux. The South African full-back catches Brown but, to his credit, makes sure he is lowered down gently. Brown's obviously angry but referee Steve Walsh is happy enough that Le Roux played it safe, given the circumstances. Penalty to England but no cards there.
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| 76 |
23 - 31 |
Lambie - drop goal
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| 78 |
28 - 31 |
Surely they couldn't...? Brad Barritt blasts over for an England try and England are a score away from staving off defeat, and maybe even winning.
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| 80 |
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Almost an explosive finish as Le Roux snaffles a high ball and dives over for what he thinks is a try, but he's knocked on and the TMO says 'no sir'. Personal points-tallies aside, it doesn't matter as Walsh blows for full-time and South Africa extend their unbeaten run against England to 12 matches.
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