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Springboks Rout England in Nations Championship Opener

Published July 4, 2026 · Updated July 4, 2026 · The Guardian

South Africa made a powerful statement in the Nations Championship, crushing England 45-21 with seven tries after the visitors briefly rallied from an early 17-0 deficit.

Springboks overcame a slow start to dominate England in their Nations Championship opener. After falling 17-0 within 12 minutes, England showed resilience to trail just 17-14 at halftime. However, reduced to 13 men, the visitors couldn't withstand South Africa's attacking prowess as the world champions ran in seven tries.

The match in South Africa's rugby heartland featured a spine-tingling rendition of "Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika" before kickoff, setting the stage for what was described as "top-drawer sporting theatre" to launch the new-look Nations Championship. sportbet.rodeo

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