Fine Margins, Again

And the English rugby-watching populace is still in mourning, after a weekend where we came so close, and yet so far. The game against South Africa was, to be fair, far closer and more gripping than many of us had feared. For once, some serious planning had gone on, and the team set out to carry out a clear plan, with considerable success.

The South Africans who had looked so commanding against France were clearly rattled and unsettled, while England kept the scoreboard ticking, kicking their penalties. Johnny Wilkinson, commentating, suggested that a drop goal would help boost the score, and - as if by magic - Farrell drops a goal. For most of the game we were ahead and deserved to be, but over the last quarter of an hour brute force imposed itself - strength in the front row, scrum penalties, supremely accurate long-distance kicking. And suddenly, cruelly, we’re out of the World Cup.

We shouldn’t get too upset. We didn’t score a try, and never looked like doing so. No line-breaks, and 41 out of 44 possessions kicked away. Yes, we challenged well for the high ball, often won it back, but we were also lucky that the weather conditions made it hard to hold on to the ball. Give the South Africans another dry day and maybe it wouldn’t have been so close. But we did much better than feared, and there are - as they love to say - positives on which to build.