Despite a challenging start and a seven-try, 24-point defeat to South Africa, stand-in skipper Jamie George saw positives in England's performance, particularly praising the team's resilience in the first half of their Nations Championship opener in Johannesburg. While the 45-21 loss marked England's fifth consecutive Test defeat, George emphasized the learning potential from the game.
England's early game at Ellis Park seemed dire as they quickly fell behind 17-0. However, a spirited comeback led them to close the gap to just three points by halftime, a rally ignited by George Martin's try. "Absolutely. I was incredibly impressed with the character we showed," George remarked, reflecting on the team's response to the initial deficit.
"The start wasn’t good enough; going 17-0 down against the Springboks at home is never going to be part of the plan. Equally, the character that we showed and the way that we played from minute 10 to minute 40 was the blueprint of how we wanted to play."
The momentum seemed to be shifting, which was evident even to some of the Springboks players. "The Springboks were under pressure at that stage... I had a brief catch-up with a couple of their guys that I know there, and they felt they were under pressure," George shared.
Despite closing the gap further through Alex Coles’ 68th-minute try, England's hopes were hampered by yellow cards to Tommy Freeman and Guy Pepper. South Africa capitalized on this, pulling away to secure the victory. Reflecting on the match, George pointed out the fine margins that decided the outcome and highlighted the need for improved discipline.
"Of course, we felt like the game was in the balance at that stage. There was a big swing of momentum, and it was just disappointing then that we weren’t able to capitalise on the momentum we had."
Coach Steve Borthwick and George agree that the experience will foster growth within the team. "When we play the game that South Africa want to play, it becomes very difficult getting out of that kick battle," George explained, identifying areas for tactical improvement. He remains optimistic about the team's development trajectory, citing the need to fine-tune certain aspects of their game.
Looking ahead, England is set to face Fiji in Liverpool and then Argentina in Santiago del Estero. George remains hopeful, emphasizing the educational value of their experiences in South Africa. "We are gutted with the result because we genuinely believed we could come here and win. We are going to rally around, stay tight, and get better from the experience," he concluded, eager for the upcoming matches.