Drama

Centre Tommy Freeman and replacement forward Guy Pepper yellow carded.

Updated at 19.27

Nations Championship: South Africa 45 England 21

SOUTH AFRICA OUTSCORED England by seven tries to three to win a Nations Championship first-round match 45-21 at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on Saturday.

After cutting the deficit to 10 points with 11 minutes remaining, England were reduced to 13 men with centre Tommy Freeman and replacement forward Guy Pepper yellow-carded.

Prop Thomas du Toit, wings Cheslin Kolbe and Kurt-Lee Arendse, scrum-half Grant Williams, centre Jesse Kriel, hooker Malcolm Marx and loose forward Ben-Jason Dixon scored for South Africa.

Kolbe slotted five of seven conversions for a personal tally of 15 points for the record four-time Rugby World Cup winners.

Prop Ellis Genge and locks George Martin and Alex Coles crossed the try line for England, and fly-half Fin Smith kicked the three conversions.

In a match of three distinct phases, South Africa dominated the first quarter to build a 17-0 lead before a 52,790 crowd on a cold night in the South African financial capital.

England recovered to score twice and close the gap to just three points — 17-14 — by half-time as they sought to end a four-match losing streak started in the Six Nations Championship.

The first England try came when South Africa were down to 14 men after Arendse was sin-binned for a deliberate knock-on.

Quilter Nations Series / YouTube

After two more tries from the Springboks in the second half, Coles barged over, and the Smith conversion left England trailing 31-21 entering the closing stages.

Hopes of a dramatic comeback by the visitors were dashed after Freeman banged his shoulder against the head of South Africa full-back Damian Willemse.

Three minutes later, Pepper joined Freeman in the sin bin for an early tackle.

South Africa took advantage of their numerical superiority with Marx and Dixon scoring and Kolbe, given the goal-kicking duties ahead of fly-half Manie Libbok, converting both.

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