STEVE BORTHWICK’s England got altitude sickness in Johannesburg as they were demolished by the seven-try world champs.
Borthwick’s crew had been training in special masks before arriving in South Africa.
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England locked horns with South Africa in the Nations Championship on Saturday Credit: SHUTTERSTOCK
They were put to the sword by by South Africa Credit: GETTY
But 5,500 feet above sea level in Johannesburg, they ran out of puff.
England dared to dream when they bounced off the canvas from 17-0 down after a three-try Bok blitz to trail by three points at the break.
But they ran out of gas and John Pullin’s heroes of 1972 remain the last English side to beat South Africa at Ellis Park.
Henry Pollock predictably got the biggest boos of the evening when he was brought on after 58 minutes with his side 31-19 down.
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Alex Coles closed the gap but when Tommy Freeman was yellow-carded for a head shot on Bok full-back Damian Willemse and Guy Pepper followed him into the bin that was that.
Prop Ellis Genge, fly-half Fin Smith and skipper George battled manfully but the Boks had too much and the damage was done early on.
As if England did not have enough problems after their dismal Six Nations full-back George Furbank was rushed to hospital on the morning of the game with appendicitis.
Furbank must have run over a black cat as he has not been capped since November 2024 after a shocking run of injuries and he went under the knife again.
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South Africa raced to a 17-0 lead Credit: GETTY
Grant Williams was one of South Africa’s top performers Credit: AFP
And although the Boks had skipper Siya Kolisi and monster lock Eben Etzebeth missing from their announced line-up, it soon looked a good one to miss for Furbank.
The anthems had hardly finished when the scoreboard started ticking over, and it was one-way traffic.
And it was the green light to go for the Boks.
The hosts were 17-0 up in a blink of an eye as England were left grabbing at thin air.
The game was so one-sided that the first Mexican wave by a delirious Bok crowd was seen on 26 minutes with the game just about in the bag.
Former Bath prop Thomas du Toit got the ball, and the scoreboard, rolling with just two minutes and 18 seconds on the clock.
And wing wonder Cheslin Kolbe, winning his 50th cap, grabbed a second 180 seconds later.
It was all hands to the pump for England but they were drowning and Bok full-back Kurt-Lee Arendse crossed for a third.
Steve Borthwick is under mounting pressure – despite being publicly backed by the RFU in May Credit: GETTY
England seemingly struggled with the altitude, which their footie counterparts will have to navigate against Mexico Credit: GETTY
Then it got worse for Borthwick’s crew as Jamie George and Ollie Chessum had scores ruled out by the TMO.
But with Arendse in the bin, Genge finally stopped the flow when he piled over five minutes before the break.
And when lock George Martin, in his first Test since the 2025 Six Nations, ran all over Kolbe it was 17-14 and game on.
England were showing some fight but tries from scrum-half Grant Williams and centre Jesse Kriel restored order.
Then England’s yellow fever did the rest.
Defeat for Borthwicks’ troops was a stern message to their football counterparts at the World Cup.
Thomas Tuchel‘s troops take on Mexico at the Azteca Stadium early on Monday morning.
And their last-16 clash against the co-hosts will be played a whopping 1.4 MILES above sea level.
