sport news SIR CLIVE WOODWARD: Marcus Smith is a natural winner and so his kick to win it ...

sport news SIR CLIVE WOODWARD: Marcus Smith is a natural winner and so his kick to win it ...
sport news SIR CLIVE WOODWARD: Marcus Smith is a natural winner and so his kick to win it ...

I suggested on Saturday that Marcus Smith would win it for England by one point with an extra-time drop goal but I will settle for a last-minute penalty from the young Harlequins fly-half!

Like the rest of the England team, Smith was on the back foot for most of the second half and we have yet to see the best of him in attack for England but my God, he has a great temperament. And he's a natural born winner.

He kept kicking his goals all day in a tumultuous contest that really got the pulse going. And when the moment came, when his team needed him, he delivered.

Marcus Smith was the hero for England as his kick sealed a famous win over South Africa

Marcus Smith was the hero for England as his kick sealed a famous win over South Africa

The rising star fly-half from Harlequins showed no nerves and his winning kick was not in doubt

The rising star fly-half from Harlequins showed no nerves and his winning kick was not in doubt

As he approached that kick I had not the slightest doubt he would nail it. I can guarantee you no Quins will have doubted him either. Smith is born for such a moment.

And then, to complete a lesson learning afternoon for the young brigade, Freddie Steward - with the brilliant lion-hearted Eben Etzebeth charging and jumping one final time - soared again to win the final challenge of a nail-biting game.

England did it the hard way, mind, and when the excitement and celebrations die down, I trust Eddie Jones will go through the match in some detail and point out how victory could have been more easily achieved and the areas England must improve en route to Rugby World Cup 2023.

With the Boks, as they always do, cranking it up in the second half with the arrival of the Bomb Squad, life suddenly became very difficult and tense after the break.

England knew it was coming and it was difficult to counter. The Boks power came on, the discipline slipped with 10 straight penalties and it all seemed to be going wrong, but England's heart never faltered.

England needed to be 15 points ahead at the break in my estimation to disrupt the South Africa game plan, which invariably relies on them taking a massive grip on the game in the second half. Any less than that and you run the risk of getting involved in a dog-fight

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