Sports Calendar

Martin Corry 6
At the heart of the back-row battle, led the charge against the Springboks’ driving maul

Lewis Moody 6
Has been playing with shoulder damage, but kept pressure on Springboks halves

Nick Easter 6
A couple of early rumbling runs that served a warning, thereafter forced to keep his nose to the grindstone to tie in opposition

Matt Stevens 6
Brought fresh energy in second half and will have been proud to have opposed Os du Randt in the old prop’s last match

Dan Hipkiss 6
Made a couple of surging runs that allowed his forwards to get in behind him. A man for the future

Toby Flood 6
How good a player will he become through his belated contact with this tournament? Scope for him at fly half or centre

George Chuter 5
Never found space ball in hand that he can use well

Joe Worsley No score
So distressed to last only six minutes before a damaged hamstring forced him off

Lawrence Dallaglio 5
The old warrior fought to the end, took off his silver medal, looked at it, then decided it had been genuinely won

Peter Richards 5
Has played scrum half, fly half, centre but probably never flanker. Just got on with it

Scorers: England: Penalty goals: Wilkinson 2 (12min, 44). South Africa: Penalty goals: Montgomery 4 (7, 16, 40, 50), Steyn (62).

Scoring sequence (England first): 0-3, 3-3, 3-6, 3-9 (half-time), 6-9, 6-12, 6-15.

England: J Robinson (unattached; rep: D Hipkiss, Leicester, 47); P Sackey (London Wasps), M Tait (Newcastle Falcons), M Catt (London Irish; rep: T Flood, Newcastle Falcons, 51), M Cueto (Sale Sharks); J Wilkinson (Newcastle Falcons), A Gomarsall (Harlequins); A Sheridan (Sale Sharks), M Regan (Bristol; rep: G Chuter, Leicester, 63), P Vickery (London Wasps; rep: M Stevens, Bath, 41), S Shaw (London Wasps), B Kay (Leicester), M Corry (Leicester), L Moody (Leicester; rep: J Worsley (London Wasps, 63; rep: P Richards, London Irish, 71), N Easter (Harlequins; rep: L Dallaglio, London Wasps, 65).

South Africa: P Montgomery (Natal Sharks); J-P Pietersen (Natal Sharks), J Fourie (Golden Lions), F Steyn (Natal Sharks), B Habana (Blue Bulls); A James (Natal Sharks), F du Preez (Blue Bulls); J du Randt (Free State Cheetahs), J Smit (Natal Sharks; rep: B du Plessis, Natal Sharks, 72-77), C J van der Linde (Free State Cheetahs), J Botha (Blue Bulls), V Matfield (Blue Bulls), S Burger (Western Stormers), J Smith (Free State Cheetahs), D Rossouw (Blue Bulls; rep: L van Heerden, Blue Bulls, 72).

Referee: A Rolland (Ireland).

Attendance: 80,430.