England crashed to a fifth successive defeat after a blistering start gave way to a dramatic collapse as South Africa emerged 42-39 winners from a thrilling first Test at Ellis Park. A scarcely-believable 24-3 lead had been amassed by the 18th minute, with George Ford acting as ringmaster as Mike Brown, Elliot Daly and Owen Farrell ran in superb tries. But the match was turned on its head when Faf de Klerk orchestrated a stunning first-half comeback supported by the brilliance of Willie le Roux that enabled South Africa to take a 29-27 lead into half-time. South Africa vs England first Test player ratings Show all 30 1 /30 South Africa vs England first Test player ratings South Africa vs England first Test player ratings South Africa: Willie Le Roux – 8 out of 10 Was visibly frustrated with their early struggles, but took his try with a beautiful run that Wasps fans will have found very familiar. Nice pass to release Nkosi for his second, and started to take control the game as the Springboks pulled away from England. Getty South Africa vs England first Test player ratings S’busiso Nkosi – 8 out of 10 Look very much a Test-level wing with two clinical finishes – albeit one that came with a generous slice of luck. His first came with a chip and chase that Daly should have fielded, and his second saw him loop round to the opposite wing and collect a good offload from Dyantyi to go over unopposed. It was also his barrelling run over Ford that led to the first try. Could have had a hat-trick. Getty South Africa vs England first Test player ratings Lukhanyo Am – 6 out of 10 His early defensive issues were alleviated when the Springboks started to dominate the ball, as often he proved the miss-out man in attack. Getty South Africa vs England first Test player ratings Damian De Allende – 6 out of 10 Very poor tackle from such a big centre allowed Brown to score, but it was his decision to attack the blindside that led to Nkosi’s first try. South Africa vs England first Test player ratings Aphiwe Dyantyi – 7 out of 10 Good offload to Nkosi for his second try before bagging one of his own, even if he had to juggle the ball over the line. South Africa vs England first Test player ratings Handre Pollard – 7 out of 10 Stepped far too easily by Brown for the opening try four minutes in, but recovered his composure well to start firing his back line on all cylinders and added some very impressive conversions. Despite all the tries, it proved his late penalty that secured the victory. Getty South Africa vs England first Test player ratings Faf De Klerk – 9 out of 10 A brilliant return to test rugby as he got the Springboks up and running with their first try. Quickened the pace with tap penalties that caught England on the back foot. Proved his worth to South African rugby and my how they’ve missed him. South Africa vs England first Test player ratings Tendai Mtawarira – 6 out of 10 Not able to dominate the scrum and kept fairly quiet in the loose as his teammates stole the headlines. Replaced by Steven Kischoff soon after the break. South Africa vs England first Test player ratings Bongi Mbonambi – 7 out of 10 Bit in when defending that isolated Nkosi for Brown’s opening try, but solid in the lineout as he mixed up his target area to keep England guessing. Roared in triumph when the front-row smashed through the English pack. Getty South Africa vs England first Test player ratings Trevor Nyakane – 6 out of 10 Unable to get the better of Mako Vunipola in the front-row battle and fairly ineffective with the ball. Replaced by Wilco Louw seven minutes into the second half, who made an immediate impact. South Africa vs England first Test player ratings RG Snyman – 7 out of 10 Beautiful 50m run saw the lock gallop upfield at the start of the second half and he proved a real thorn in the side of the English defence. Getty South Africa vs England first Test player ratings Franco Mostert – 6 out of 10 South Africa’s go-to man in the lineout as he jumped well to keep the ball out of Itoje’s mits. Getty South Africa vs England first Test player ratings Siya Kolisi – 7 out of 10 Ferocious in defence as he hit opposite number Robshaw on more than one occasion. Also left his mark on his fellow captain Farrell. A good defensive showing. South Africa vs England first Test player ratings Jean-Luc Du Preez – 6 out of 10 Unable to cover back in time to stop Brown and gave away a needless penalty for diving off his feet at the start of the game. Replaced by Pieter-Steph du Toit early in the second half and could find his place at risk. South Africa vs England first Test player ratings Duane Vermeulen – 8 out of 10 Grew into the game as South Africa started to secure front-foot ball. Enjoyed a strong run out wide early in the second half and proved a real turnover merchant as he disrupted English ball time and time again. Getty South Africa vs England first Test player ratings England: Elliot Daly – 7 out of 10 Got the first points of the game as he took full advantage of the altitude with a 61m penalty, but committed an absolute howler when he missed the ball and allowed Nkosi to score. Scored a try of his own with a neat finish and defensively he put in a huge tackle on Wasps teammate Le Roux that stopped an attack in its tracks, but two sloppy kicks from hand cost England precious ground. South Africa vs England first Test player ratings Jonny May – 7 out of 10 Enjoyed a strong start as his early break set-up Brown’s opening score before delivering the final pass to Daly, but spent a lot of the game running backwards and De Klerk and Pollard looked to pin him back. Getty South Africa vs England first Test player ratings Henry Slade – 6 out of 10 Very good opening 20 minutes as his footwork dazzled the Springboks’ defensive line, with one sidestep committing two defenders before he produced a love offload from the deck to Brown. Faded as the game went on though as South Africa starved him of ball. Getty South Africa vs England first Test player ratings Owen Farrell – 7 out of 10 Linked up well with Ford and was at his consistent best from the tee. Lovely pass to Daly that set-up May’s late try. Getty South Africa vs England first Test player ratings Mike Brown – 7 out of 10 Appeared to silence his critics somewhat with a powerful finish as he beat two men to score inside four minutes. Made a second break after Slade’s offload, but kept out of the game by a resurgent Springboks side. Made a good one-handed tackle on Nkosi when he went close and had a late burst as time ticked down. Getty South Africa vs England first Test player ratings George Ford – 6 out of 10 On the end of a rampaging run from Nkosi and defensively he struggled slightly and his kicking from hand was poor. But his attack play was much better than it has been of late. Getty South Africa vs England first Test player ratings Ben Youngs – 6 out of 10 Fairly average on his Test return after injury, and while he didn’t do a lot wrong, there were no runs or breaks on his part. Getty South Africa vs England first Test player ratings Mako Vunipola – 6 out of 10 Solid in the scrum and was able to show his best with ball in hand, but shown a harsh yellow card for a late tackle on De Klerk.<doc-sep>24-3 in the visitors favour after 18 minutes of play, South Africa vs England was turned on its head in a blitz of attacking rugby that will leave Eddie Jones wondering, what now? By half-time, the hosts held a 29-27 lead; a cracking game in Johannesburg throwing up seven tries in the opening half. What became England's fifth successive defeat, Rassie Erasmus' South Africa ran out 42-39 winners . A good win for the hosts, England's incredible collapse left many watching perplexed. 18' - South Africa 3-24 England 80' - South Africa 42-39 England What a comeback from the @Springboks! 🇿🇦@EnglandRugby suffer defeat in Johannesburg! Watch live on Sky Sports Action or Main Event or follow our live blog here: https://t.co/F5sdQJSIQ2 #RSAvENG pic.twitter.com/PPhM0Hh093 — Sky Sports Rugby Union (@SkySportsRugby) June 9, 2018 Initially, confidence was high amongst the England faithful as Eddie Jones' men raced into an early lead. Looking closer to the tough at the apparent restoration of past form was hard to overlook. Wow. @EnglandRugby are a different set of players this week. @Springboks won’t be done yet but hell of a mountain to climb if they defend like that..... — Matt Dawson (@matt9dawson) June 9, 2018 Advertisement England purring. Boks all over the show. — Alastair Eykyn (@alastaireykyn) June 9, 2018 England planning to cut through down that left wing all afternoon. — Ben Coles (@bencoles_) June 9, 2018 England are going to win the World Cup — Tass (@FaZeTass) June 9, 2018 Advertisement This Owen Farrell try to bring the tie to 22-3 summed up England's stellar performance in the opening 20 minutes. WATCH: Farrell finishes a brilliant move for England #RSAvENG Watch live on Sky Sports Action or Main Event or follow our live blog here: https://t.co/1X6HlyTM3y https://t.co/nErxy9YwS9 — Sky Sports Rugby Union (@SkySportsRugby) June 9, 2018 Yet, it didn't last too long. Becoming apparent that South Africa were far from written off, there was a stunned reaction to how this tie had turned so quickly. Advertisement Wasps fans, are England’s 2018 performances feeling all too familiar? Seems Jones loves selecting to go forwards. Defence coach anyone? — Nick Heath (@nickheathsport) June 9, 2018 England need to get possession and their threats back into the game. Haven’t had a sniff of the ball since the third try. — Nick Easter (@nick_easter) June 9, 2018 After a bright start, England shooting themselves in the foot. Might be worth putting Brown to 15. Daly couple of errors at the back, Brown caught narrow once. Switch it. — Alex Shaw (@alexshawsport) June 9, 2018 Advertisement Come on the boks 💪🏾🇿🇦#SAvENG — Simon Zebo (@SimonZebo) June 9, 2018 Chasing the game in what became an ever-opening attacking affair, England's Johnny May did show tremendous pace in finishing off this effort - but it ultimately wouldn't be enough. TRY! May scores from the halfway line - what a try! Is it too little, too late for England? ⏱️ Watch live on Sky Sports Action or Main Event or follow our live blog here: https://t.co/F5sdQKajHA #RSAvENG https://t.co/oOoGyzgnd3 — Sky Sports Rugby Union (@SkySportsRugby) June 9, 2018 Advertisement With England fans growing increasingly concerned that the indomitable side of a few years ago is fading fast ahead of next year's World Cup, patience is at a minimum with head coach Eddie Jones. Is there anyone else starting to question Eddie Jones?! 5 loses in a row!! Brown on the wing is ridiculous. He had no pace and was found out numerous times despite the try. Look what the pace of May did on the opposite wing. The substitutions were very late as well. — Karl Slack (@KarlAntSlack) June 9, 2018 Four defeats in a row for Eddie Jones. Defence awful, discipline lousy, use of the bench too slow. England sliding backwards at a fair old rate — Tom English (@TEnglishSport) June 9, 2018 Advertisement Prediction; SA run England ragged in the 2nd half of the second half. Eddie jones blames altitude even though he said pre match it couldn’t be a factor/excuse. — Georgie Bingham (@georgiebingham) June 9, 2018 The @EnglandRugby v @Springboks game is again highlighting that Eddie Jones either trusts a player entirely or not at all. Can’t be an easy environment to play in #rugby — Paul Holder (@PaulHolder) June 9, 2018 I know we're missing a few players etc but it is starting to look like Eddie jones' England peaked too soon and we'll be back to average when the World Cup rolls around — Ed Banthorp (@BigEdBanthorp) June 9, 2018 Advertisement Nowhere near enough close ups of Eddie Jones for my liking #RSAvENG — Murray McCann (@MurrayMcCann) June 9, 2018 Did Eddie Jones take off the wrong lock? — Alex Lowe (@AlexMLowe) June 9, 2018 That first half was Eddie Jones’ England tenure in a nutshell. Stormed out the blocks, weak from there on in. #RSAvENG — Matt Cotton (@FindingCotton) June 9, 2018 See Also: The Irish Player Ratings From Defeat To Australia In Brisbane<doc-sep>Eddie Jones had urged his players to begin the march to the World Cup at Ellis Park on Saturday night but despite a blitzkrieg opening, it was South Africa who appeared to lay down more convincing foundations for Japan next year as England crashed to a fourth successive Test defeat. Still, the craziness of it all made for a fantastic occasion and spectacle, with both sides sharing five tries apiece on the night when South African rugby celebrated the historic moment when the Springboks were captained for the first time in a Test by a black player, Siya Kolisi, at their spiritual home. Yet for all that England did so well in an opening quarter that yielded 24 points including tries by Mike Brown, Elliot Daly and Owen Farrell, the contest finished once again with more questions than answers for Jones, who side were completely overwhelmed for much of the remainder of the contest before late tries by Maro Itoje and Jonny May brought them back to within a score. The late flourish however could not mask the sense that England been unable to resist the intensity and power of the hugely inexperienced Springbok side under new head coach Rassie Erasmus who scored five tries of their own including a brace for debutant winger S’busiso Nkosi and one for Aphiwe Dyantyi on his first cap. The defeat marks England’s worst run since 2014 when they lost five Tests in a row under Stuart Lancaster, four of which were against the All Blacks.<doc-sep>
✕ Close England vs South Africa: The sides toss a coin in the run up to the match England begin their summer tour against South Africa on Saturday in the first Test at Ellis Park, a stadium where the red rose has not emerged triumphant in 46 years. Eddie Jones sends his side into the match looking to end their four-game losing streak, having suffered three straight losses in the Six Nations and losing to the Barbarians a fortnight ago. They are also without their captain, Dylan Hartley, due to concussion as Owen Farrell takes over the leadership duties. Mike Brown starts on the wing with Elliot Daly at full-back, while New Zealand-born flanker Brad Shields is among the replacements and could make his international debut. South Africa meanwhile will make history as Stormers flanker Siya Kolisi becomes the first black player to captain the Springboks, and does so wearing the No 6 shirt that became so famous when Nelson Mandela wore it during the 1995 Rugby World Cup. Follow the live action below... Please allow a moment for the blog to load... What time does it start? South Africa vs England kicks off at 16:05 BST. Where can I watch it? The match will be shown live on Sky Sports Action and Sky Sports Main Event from 15:00 BST. Teams: South Africa: Willie Le Roux; S’busiso Nkosi, Lukhanyo Am, Damian De Allende, Aphiwe Dyantyi; Handre Pollard, Faf De Klerk; Tendai Mtawarira, Bongi Mbonambi, Trevor Nyakane; RG Snyman, Franco Mostert; Siya Kolisi, Jean-Luc Du Preez, Duane Vermeulen. Replacements: Akker van der Merwe, Steven Kitshoff, Wilco Louw, Pieter-Steph du Toit,Sikhumbuzo Notshe, Ivan van Zyl, Elton Jantjies, Warrick Gelant. England: Elliot Daly; Jonny May, Henry Slade, Owen Farrell, Mike Brown; George Ford, Ben Youngs; Joe Marler, Jamie George, Kyle Sinckler; Maro Itoje, Nick Isiekwe; Chris Robshaw, Tom Curry, Billy Vunipola. Replacements: Luke Cowan-Dickie, Joe Marler, Harry Williams, Brad Shields, Nathan Hughes, Ben Spencer, Piers Francis, Denny Solomona.