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.”
Player to watch - Kazuki Himeno
The captain and ex-captain may immediately draw the eye in the Japan back row but Kazuki Himeno is arguably the star of a lively triumvirate. Beautifully well-rounded and hard-working, Himeno is strong through contact and underrated over the ball – the battle of the breakdown will be key, as ever, in a game in which both sides will wish for speedy ruck ball.
He had a quiet-ish game, by his standards, last week against Portugal but Himeno had a promising spell with the Highlanders in New Zealand earlier this year, and he’s regarded as a potential future leader of this side having captained Toyota Verblitz as a youngster. Himeno will be one of Japan’s chief threats.
Player to watch – Josh Bayliss
There hasn’t been too much good to come out of Bath so far this season. Stuart Hooper’s side are rooted to the bottom of the Gallagher Premiership after seven consecutive defeats to begin the campaign, with veteran administrator Ed Griffiths, formerly of Saracens, brought in to consult and reportedly ready to swing the axe, which may see the end of both Hooper and CEO Tarquin McDonald.
Yet out of the Rec wreckage has emerged another international debutant – Josh Bayliss made his Scotland bow off the bench against Australia two weeks ago but earns a first start at number eight this afternoon. Quick over the ground and possessing an outstanding workrate, Bayliss offers something different in the back row for Gregor Townsend. This will be a tough first start, though – Japan have a refined, skilful, tough back row.
Big day of rugby
This is a proper day of rugby, starting at 1pm GMT and running throughout an explosive afternoon of five rather sizeable men’s games and a couple of properly intriguing women’s games, too, including the Black Ferns’ attempt to avoid a fourth successive defeat as they face France in Castres.
We’ll have live coverage of four of the men’s games (with our apologies to the rather exciting meeting between Kieran Crowley’s intriguing Italy and a spritely Uruguay), starting with Scotland-Japan and following on through England against South Africa, with Wales and Australia and then France’s men against the All Blacks to finish it all off. Strap. In...
Team News - Japan
Japan made a little history last week as they beat Portugal in the first ever meeting between the Brave Blossoms and the Iberian
side. Lappies Labuschagne was rested for that encounter but returns to lead Japan for what should be a significantly stronger Scotland.
Labuschagne is part of an outstanding back-row trio with ex-skipper Michael Leitch and the talented Kazuki Himeno. Behind the scrum, Shogo Nakano was a try-scorer on debut in Lisbon and retains his place at outside centre. Kotaro Matsushima’s flashing feet are ever eye-catching, with the Clermont Auvergne dazzler on the right wing, but Scotland will also be wary of Siosaia Fifita’s more direct threat down the touchine.
There’s a fair bit of punch on Jamie Joseph’s bench, too, most prominently in the hulking form of Thai-born Ben Gunter and Tevita Tatafu.
Team News - Scotland
Scotland make seven changes to the starting side beaten by South Africa last weekend. Scott Cummings makes his first appearance of the autumn in the second row and loosehead Jamie Bhatti his first Scotland start in more than two years. Hamish Watson is restored on the openside, with vice-captain Jamie Ritchie back on the blind and Josh Bayliss, on his first Scotland start, completing the back row.
Darcy Graham adds the lightning to Duhan van der Merwe’s thunder on the two wings while Sam Johnson is back at inside centre to help knit things together.
There are two potential debutants lurking among a 6-2 bench: Javan Sebastian is a Welsh-based tighthead who has had to fight hard to earn this opportunity, while Dylan Richardson is the latest South African-born Scot to boost this side, a muscular openside flanker, who can also cover hooker in a pinch, who impressed for the Junior Springboks.
Scotland vs Japan latest odds
Scotland 1/12
Japan 8/1
Draw 40/1
First tryscorer:
Van der Merwe 11/2
Graham 11/2
McInally 10/1
Turner 10/1
Hogg 10/1
Horne 12/1
Kinghorn 14/1
Matsushima 16/1
Talking points ahead of Scotland vs Japan
Scotland host Japan in their fourth and final Test of the Autumn Nations Series on Saturday.
Here, the PA news agency looks at the talking points ahead of the game at Murrayfield including a revenge mission, a chance for Josh Bayliss and attempts to finish on a high.
World Cup revenge mission to round off 2021 – Scotland v Japan talking points
This is the first meeting between the teams since Scotland were eliminated from the World Cup.
Scotland vs Japan live coverage
Good afternoon and welcome to the Independent’s live coverage of the Autumn internationals as Scotland host Japan at Murrayfield.
Last time out it was bittersweet for Stuart Hogg, who equalled the all-time record for tries but suffered defeat to South Africa. This time around he wants to ensure Scotland finish on a high.
“I want to see us perform to the best of our ability. If I’m being honest, we’re yet to have a complete performance both sides of the ball,” he said.
“But we’ve learned a huge amount throughout these last three games, so hopefully on Saturday it will be the case [of a complete performance].
“We just want to win. We have a gameplan – a way we want to play – but the most important thing is we win the game. Having said that, I know exactly what we’re about and how we want to play the game, so it will be exciting.
“It will be end to end, side to side, exactly what we want. Hopefully we can put on a performance that we’re proud of, that the nation’s proud of, and that gets everybody at BT Murrayfield on their feet.”
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