England vs South Africa LIVE: Rugby result, final score and reaction from 2021 Autumn Nations Series
Eddie Jones’ side got some revenge against the world champion Springboks
England welcomed South Africa to Twickenham on Saturday afternoon in a mouthwatering rematch of the World Cup final two years on.
Fly-half Marcus Smith landed a last-minute penalty to snatch a 27-26 win as the hosts looked full of early promise but were hauled back by the battling Springboks in the teams’ first meeting since the 2019 showpiece.
England fashioned excellent early tries for Manu Tuilagi and Freddie Steward but were penalised relentlessly and four penalties for Handre Pollard kept South Africa within five points at the break.
The Springboks edged clear in the second half and, after tries by Raffie Quirke for England and Makazole Mapimpi for the Springboks, a Fran Steyne penalty put the visitors two points ahead with six minutes to go. England, though, mustered one final attack and earned a penalty on the 22 that Smith smashed over.
With star youngsters like Smith, Steward and Quirke breaking through across a fruitful autumn, Jones admitted the quest for the 2023 World Cup title hurtles ever closer. Asked if this autumn series represents a new England era, coach Eddie Jones replied: “Yes, we said in the summer that the Lions tour draws a line in the sand, and that you need to regenerate and have a little bit of a rebirth to go to the World Cup.
“There’s some good players coming through but we’ve got some pretty good experienced players too. They feel comfortable within themselves, they want to be together, they want to work together. Our stated aim is to win the World Cup, so we want to be better in the next campaign.”
Scotland 0-0 Japan, 1 minute
Ryohei Yamanaka misjudges the first clearance from Scotland towards him but atones with a lovely shimmy beyond Darcy Graham, allowing Japan to attack near halfway. They play wide straightaway, full-back Yamanaka gathering a slightly risky pass well to keep the movement going. Good tempo from Japan.
KICK OFF!
Rikiya Matsuda has the ball in his hands, ready for the starting gun in the form of the long blast on the whistle from Brendon Pickerill, the referee at Murrayfield. Pickerill peeps, Matsuda hoists high, and the game is underway.
Scotland vs Japan - Here we go...
Two normally adventurous sides and a dry enough day in Edinburgh - this could be a lot of fun.
Scottish national anthem
A bag-piper on the roof leads Murrayfield in the singing of “Flower of Scotland” - it must be awfully airy up there. The Scottish squad are also in fine voice, supported well, as ever, by what looks a capacity Scottish crowd. Plenty of smiles from the home side - their captain Stuart Hogg has barely stopped grinning since he stepped out.
"Kimigayo"
Japan’s players stand proudly for their national anthem, most singing. Kotaro Matushima’s more slender frame is buried beneath a big training parka, but most are bare-armed.
Scotland emerge
Stuart Hogg charges out of the Murrayfield tunnel, smiling as his teammates follow along behind. Finn Russell shakes the morning crick out of his neck, a big yawn as he settles in beneath the dissipating smoke left by the now ubiquitous greeting flamethrowers.
Out of the tunnel
Out come the players, Japan first, led by Pieter “Lappies” Labuschagne. This Japan unit hasn’t quite fired yet this autumn, and were scratchier than they would have liked against a weaker Portugal side last week, but we, and Scotland, know what they can do on their day.
Player to watch – Shogo Nakano
The dextrous Timothy Lafaele has filled the Japanese thirteen jersey superbly in the last few years, but Jamie Joseph has found a viable alternative in Shogo Nakano. Long regarded as one of the brighter prospects coming through the at-times inhibitive domestic system in Japan, Nakano showed his ability with a try on debut last week, a shimmy and shrug out of a tackle after taking a short line 25 metres out and showing plenty of toe to get over.
Regarded as a similarly audacious off-loader in the thirteen channel, he’ll provide a handful for Chris Harris, much as the Scotland 13 is a fine defender. Japan are rarely afraid to be creative in attack (fly-half Rikiya Matsuda produced one particularly lovely dinky kick to help set up a try for Siosaia Fifita last week) so it will be intriguing to see what they throw at this Scotland side.
Player to watch - Sam Johnson
The international career of Sam Johnson is becoming something of a curiosity. Scotland seldom look a worse team with the inside centre playing, an effective carrier with sharp linking hands, but there is always a sense that Johnson is never quite settled within the side. He was left out last week in favour of a more abrasive midfield pairing of Matt Scott and Chris Harris – and a possible concern over a head knock suffered a week prior - but returns to combine in creative partnership with Finn Russell.
When Cameron Redpath is back fit you would suspect he will re-take the 12 jumper, but Johnson has plenty of good qualities. Harris has talked up his centre partner’s role in making him feel comfortable in a crucial defensive combination in Scotland’s much-improved defence under Steve Tandy.
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