England 11 - 21 South Africa: England bashed by Boks

England captain Lewis Moody admitted his side made too many mistakes after they lost 21-11 to South Africa at Twickenham. The home side had plenty of possession on the visitors' try line but were kept out by some impressive defending.

South Africa scored tries through replacement flanker Willem Alberts and wing Lwazi Mvovo. A late score by Ben Foden was England's only try but it proved to be a consolation and Moody admitted to bitter disappointment at the final score.

He said: "We just made too many mistakes and they played better than us. We gave away too many penalties. I am bitterly, bitterly disappointed. I'm just sorry we couldn't deliver today."

South Africa captain Victor Matfield was the happier of the two skippers after his side bounced back from a shock victory by Scotland.

He said: "We were very disappointed about the way we played last week. I think we played the way we can, we played direct."

Two penalties from Toby Flood and some intense goal-line defence had somehow kept England on level terms at 6-6 at the interval. But the Springboks, who finished last in the Tri-Nations and were beaten 21-17 by Scotland last weekend, sealed a seventh consecutive victory over England with the tries from Alberts and Mvovo. Ben Foden scored a 90-metre intercept try late in the game but it was merely a consolation score.

England were dragged into an arm-wrestle, they committed too many mistakes under pressure and the ferocious Springboks eventually made them pay. Martin Johnson's men started in enterprising fashion but their scrum was under pressure from the outset against the powerful Springbok unit.

Referee George Clancy penalised South Africa for lying on the ball and when scrum-half Ben Youngs tried a quick tap he was taken out illegally by prop Jannie du Plessis. England opted for the posts and Toby Flood slotted the kick.

England's scrum conceded a free-kick and then a penalty which was converted by Morne Steyn - but England soon responded. When Shontayne Hape was taken out in the air on halfway, Flood went for touch. England drove forward from the lineout through Andrew Sheridan before Francois Steyn hit the ruck from the side and Flood nailed the penalty.

But that was virtually the last England saw of the ball as the Springboks dominated the rest of the half, assisted by a flurry of penalties. It was testament to their wholehearted defence that England did not trail at the interval.

England opened the second half by conceding a soft penalty when Mike Tindall was spotted offside and Morne Steyn nudged the Springboks ahead. They then supplied the killer blow as the game drifted from England's grasp.From an attacking line-out both Steyns dropped back into position for a drop-goal - but the ball was moved wide for Mvovo, who brushed past Chris Ashton to score.

England: Foden; Ashton, Tindall, Hape, Cueto; Flood, Youngs; Sheridan, Hartley, Cole, Lawes, Palmer, Croft, Moody (c), Easter. Subs: Th ompson, Wilson, Shaw, Fourie, care, Hodgson, Banahan.

South Africa: Kirchner; Aplon, F Steyn, De Villiers, Mvovo; M Steyn, Pienaar; Mtawarira, B du Plessis, J du Plessis, Botha, Matfield (c), Stegmann, Smith, Spies. Subs: Strauss, Van der Linde, van der Merwe, Alberts, Hougaard, Lambie, Jacobs.

Referee: G Clancy (Ireland). Attendance: 80,793