Autumn internationals 2024: Five lessons we learned from England loss to strong Springboks side

A closely fought 29-20 loss to the Springboks at the Allianz Stadium saw England lose their fifth game in a row, their worst run since 2018.

Interestingly, all five of those losses have come against southern hemisphere teams.

The Red Roses lost two nail-biters to New Zealand in July and have followed that up with tight home losses to New Zealand, Australia, and now South Africa in the ongoing autumn series.

In this article, Sports New Blitz writer Barnaby van Hoeken looks at five lessons we learned from another disappointing England loss.

1. Marcus Smith must play at fly-half

Marcus Smith has had a whirlwind international career so far.

From making his debut in 2021 and being called up to the British & Irish Lions to being given the keys to fly-half in the 2022 Six Nations to then having to settle at full-back in order to accommodate veterans Owen Farrell and George Ford, Smith has always taken his chances.

This year, particularly during the ongoing autumn series, Smith has been the focal point of all that has gone right for England.

In the last two games, Smith has kept England alive with his penalties and pure rugby instinct. On Saturday against the Springboks, his identifying of a 3 v 2 overload notably allowed Ollie Sleightholm to score the first try of the game.

And while there have been a couple of high-profile shortcomings — missed drop goals against New Zealand and a charge-down-turned-try against South Africa — Smith is still head and shoulders above other fly-half talents in England. This fact was painfully obvious when he was subbed off against New Zealand and shifted to full-back against Australia.

Going forward, Smith needs to play at 10 for England to have any hopes of success.

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2. Sam Underhill impresses on his return

Having initially formed part of Eddie Jones’ “kamikaze twins” alongside Tom Curry at the 2019 Rugby World Cup, Sam Underhill has gone on to become one of the most destructive back-rowers in world rugby.

Yet, he remains arguably one of the most underrated players too.

Curry’s recent injury against Australia presented the perfect opportunity for Underhill to return to the starting line-up this past weekend.

And with 11 tackles — the majority of which knocked the Springboks back over the gain line — and an explosive carry leading to a try, Underhill proved his value to England once again.

3. Freddie Steward deserves to be in the squad

Despite being well-stepped by Grant Wiliams for the Springboks’ opening try and missing a crucial try-saving tackle on Cheslin Kolbe, Freddie Steward impressed on his return to the starting line-up.

Having been unceremoniously dropped for the more creative and counter-attacking George Furbank halfway through the Six Nations earlier this year, there were whispers that Steward’s time in the national side was up.

Steward, however, used his impressive high-ball skills to showcase good counter-attacking capabilities on Saturday as he repeatedly chose to run the ball rather than simply launching it back into Springbok hands.

Despite receiving criticism for not having the creative flair or attacking vision of Furbank, Steward showed against the South Africans that there is definitely a place for him in the side when the high balls are coming thick and fast.

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4. Ollie Sleightholm looking more and more like a potential starter

At a time when England are blessed with a plethora of rugby talent from across the Premiership, it is particularly tough for wingers to stake a claim in the national shirt.

With Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Tommy Freeman the preferred starters and Tom Roebuck a regular in the squad, players like Cadan Murley and Gabriel Ibitoye have to make do with England A duty.

In Feyi-Waboso’s absence both this week and last, however, Ollie Sleightholm has stepped up with three tries in two games to go with solid performances both times.

Not only does Sleightholm offer lightning speed, he also brings the necessary power game to break tackles and push the gain line. In that respect, he is not too different from Feyi-Waboso.

With Japan to come next week, Sleightholm now has a great chance to cement himself as an England starter and stand out amongst the country’s impressive wing depth.

5. So close yet so far, again

Despite a number of positives for England to take away on an individual level, the overall team performance continues to fall short as the hint of a crisis develops.

To be fair, credit must be given to world champions South Africa, who looked more cohesive in attack and defence while playing to their strengths of speed and physicality.

At various points during this autumn, England have led the opposition and been close to victory. When all is said and done, though, they remain unable to seal the deal come the final whistle.

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