England v South Africa head to head record, past meetings and results
We bring you the H2H record between England and South Africa ahead of their Rugby World Cup semi-final showdown.
The conclusion to the Rugby World Cup draws near as we enter the semi-final stage, with England being the sole European nation left in the tournament after Wales, Ireland and France were all knocked out in the quarters.
England take on South Africa, which definitely represents the more interesting of the two semi-finals. These two sides made up the final in the 2019 tournament in Japan, where South Africa outmuscled the English to win a third world title.
England reached this stage by beating Fiji in the quarter-finals 30-24. That match showcased this England side’s ability to calmly solve problems in the face of a spirited opposition – something they lacked before jetting to France.
They, to the surprise of many, remain the only unbeaten team in the competition, and their confidence will have only grown. They certainly aren’t strangers to semi-finals, but they weren’t fully expected to make it this far.
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South Africa bested hosts France in their quarter-final, in what many are already labelling one of the best World Cup matches to date - if not the best.
There was just a single point in the game, with the final score being 29-28 in the Boks’ favour, but the entire match was back and forth and the intensity was through the roof.
The impact of the South African bench had a tremendous effect on the game. As the game went on and players tired, the quality of their replacements shone through just enough for them to take the ascendency in the game’s closing stages.
Despite being unbeaten, England have yet to face a team of the quality of the Springboks so far, and many feel they’ll have to step up their game for the defending world champions.
RadioTimes.com brings you a round-up of England and South Africa's most recent past meetings.
England v South Africa past meetings
When they faced off in the 2019 final, many pointed to England’s historic semi-final win over New Zealand as them playing their final 'a week early', something that England fans will hope the Boks suffer from due to the intensity of their clash with France.
South Africa have the historical advantage, however, having won 27 of the 45 matches between the two, most recently beating England at Twickenham in late 2022 in Eddie Jones’s last game as England head coach. A year prior to that, England beat the Boks 27-26 at Twickenham.
Two of South Africa’s wins have come in World Cup finals, in 2019 and 2007. They’ve met at the World Cup five times, with England’s sole win coming at the 2003 tournament in Australia, which they went on to win.
England v South Africa H2H record
Last five matches:
- England 13-27 South Africa (Twickenham, London. 26/11/22)
- England 27-26 South Africa (Twickenham Stadium, London. 20/11/21)
- England 12-32 South Africa (International Stadium, Yokohama. 2/11/19)
- England 12-11 South Africa (Twickenham Stadium, London. 3/11/18)
- South Africa 10-25 England (Newlands Stadium, Cape Town. 23/6/18)
Overall record: England wins = 16 | South Africa wins = 27 | Draws = 2
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