At last some full-throttle rugby to raise the pulse in south-west London. It may have been a frustrating August for English supporters but here was the thunderous real deal, disguised as a so-called friendly. If this was a warm-up, those about to encounter a rampant South Africa at next month’s World Cup should brace themselves for something massively impactful.
By the end it was about as grisly a dress rehearsal as New Zealand could possibly have experienced. South Africa’s triumph was their most convincing in the 102-year history of this fixture and a depleted All Black pack were left in pieces on the floor.
