Rugby-England rue scrum turnaround and lack of tries

PARIS (Reuters) – In 2019, England suffered defeat in the World Cup final against South Africa after their scrum was dismantled. Replacement prop Dan Cole received widespread criticism for his performance after entering the match in the third minute due to Kyle Sinckler’s injury.

Fast forward four years, England fans are left wondering what the outcome might have been had Cole not been subbed off for Sinckler, who immediately conceded two penalties upon his entrance. This sudden dominance by the Springbok scrum propelled them to a comeback victory of 16-15 in the semi-final.

Coach Steve Borthwick made adjustments to the front row for the match, hoping that Sinckler and Ellis Genge’s fresh energy off the bench would benefit the team. However, this move backfired significantly.

Veterans Cole and Joe Marler had previously played a crucial role in giving England parity in the scrum. Unfortunately, once they were replaced after 56 and 53 minutes, the Springboks’ new props earned four scrum penalties that ultimately turned the tide of the game.

Nevertheless, England could and should have been in a much more favorable position by that point. Throughout the match, they enjoyed 73% possession, and the majority of the second half was played in the South African half of the field.

Despite their dominance, England only managed to score points via Owen Farrell’s drop goal in the 53rd minute. Surprisingly, they appeared to lack a clear plan on how to capitalize on their advantage. There were no further drop goal attempts and no attempts to move the ball wide in order to create a try-scoring opportunity in the slippery conditions.

Instead, it seemed as though they were relying on pressuring the Springboks into conceding additional penalties to secure victory. However, the champion team displayed impressive discipline under immense pressure, withstanding these tactics and remaining in the game.

The one occasion England did manage to set up a maul in a promising lineout position, Jamie George was penalized for a not-straight throw. George played the full 80 minutes, as he did in the quarter-final and the final pool game against Samoa.

South Africa launched minimal attacks in the second half. However, they capitalized on their opportunity when they got into range through a lineout following a scrum penalty, with RG Snyman crossing the try line.

“England failed to score a try, and that is the aspect they need to reflect upon,” stated Clive Woodward, who was the coach the last time England scored against South Africa in a World Cup match back in 2003. “Scoring tries is the next level England must strive for in their game.”

Will Greenwood, the individual who scored that famous try in a pool game during England’s victorious World Cup campaign, described Saturday’s match as “England’s best performance in two to three years, particularly considering the weather conditions and the pressure of a semi-final.”

“They had complete control over the game. I couldn’t see them losing, especially given the field position they had at times in the second half,” he added.

“However, what people tend to forget is the ability of a scrum to earn penalties, which lead to lineouts. South Africa’s lineout, which was dysfunctional in the first half, improved significantly with the inclusion of RG Snyman.”

(Reporting by Mitch Phillips; Editing by Christian Radnedge)