Wilkinson kicks England to victory

By TIM GLOVER

ENGLAND 25 SOUTH AFRICA 6

PERTH - He who lives by the boot can perish by it. Four years after Jannie de Beer drop kicked England out of the quarter-finals of the World Cup in Paris, Jonny Wilkinson's left foot exacted revenge in Perth.

The first five-eighths contributed 20 of England's 25 points as the Red Rose brigade defeated South Africa at the Subiaco Oval by a goal, four penalties and two drop goals to two penalties.

The Springboks live to fight another day but the result effectively means that England, who will finish top of Pool C, can take a less arduous route to the crucial knockout stages. They should meet Wales in the quarterfinals instead of New Zealand, and France in the semis.

Against a young Springboks side, England struggled for long periods but Wilkinson applied the coup de grace in the second half as his opposite number Louis Koen suffered an evening of torment. Koen missed four penalties in the first half and also had a drop goal charged down. At half time it was six-six, two penalties apiece from Wilkinson and Koen but as the Springboks tired, England and Wilkinson wrested control.

The only try came in the 62nd minute when Koen had a kick charged down by Lewis Moody, and Will Greenwood was able to hack the ball over the line. Wilkinson, who had kicked two second-half penalties, added two drop goals as the English contingent in the crowd of nearly 40,000 finally found the confidence to sing Swing Low Sweet Chariot.

The tournament is billed as the world in union and in keeping with such spirit, countries are encouraged to emerge from the tunnel and run onto the pitch together. With the memory of their bitter clash at Twickenham in November still fresh, Clive Woodward, the England coach, did not share in the tunnel vision.

"There is no love lost between England and South Africa and to have the two teams lined up shoulder to shoulder was not the smartest idea," Woodward said. "It's not a big tunnel. It's a highly charged game and the sides should have been kept apart until kick-off."

In the event, the teams ran out together and thereafter remained in each other's faces as a dogfight ensued for possession and supremacy which England ultimately won but none too convincingly.

Last year in an ill-tempered affair in which South Africa had a player sent off, England triumphed 53-3.

This morning, South Africa, with only two survivors from that traumatic experience, upset England with their tackling and harrying. They did not allow Martin Johnson's men to settle and as a result England were forced into making nervous, uncharacteristic errors.

Even Wilkinson was made to look uncomfortable at times and some of his kicking out of hand was poor but it was his kicking with the boot that allowed the English to survive the first real test of the campaign.

England: Try: Will Greenwood; Conversion: Jonny Wilkinson; Penalties: Wilkinson (4); Drop goals: Wilkinson (2)

South Africa: Penalties: Louis Koen (2)

Half time: 6-6

Teams:

England - 15-Josh Lewsey; 14-Jason Robinson, 13-Will Greenwood, 12-Mike Tindall, (22-Dan Luger 70 ), 11-Ben Cohen; 10-Jonny Wilkinson, 9-Kyran Bracken; 8-Lawrence Dallaglio, 7-Neil Back, 6-Lewis Moody, 5-Ben Kay, 4-Martin Johnson (captain) 3-Trevor Woodman, 2-Steve Thompson, 1-Phil Vickery. (17-Jason Leonard 74)

South Africa - 15-Jaco van der Westhuyzen; 14-Ashwin Willemse, 13-Jorrie Muller, 12-De Wet Barry, 11-Thinus Delport; 10-Louis Koen, (21-Derick Hougaard 69) 9-Joost van der Westhuizen; 8-Juan Smith, 7-Joe van Niekerk, 6-Corne Krige (captain), 5-Victor Matfield, 4-Bakkies Botha, 3-Richard Bands, (17-Lawrence Sephaka 69). 2-Danie Coetzee (16-John Smit 58), 1-Christon Bezuidenhoudt.

Referee: Peter Marshall (Australia)

- INDEPENDENT

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