WATCH: Boks ‘an extraordinary team’, while England ‘young and sweet’

A former World Cup winner from 2003 has labelled the Springboks “an extraordinary rugby team right now” and at the same time called Steve Borthwicks’ England “a sweet, young rugby team”.

Will Greenwood, who won the World Cup as a member of Martin Johnson’s team in Australia in 2023, was asked his thoughts on Saturday’s match at Twickenham, which the Boks won 29-20.

The Boks have won 10 of their 12 Tests this year, while England have lost five matches in a row.

Borthwick’s team take on Japan this weekend, while the Boks, who also won the World Cup in 2019 and 2023, beating England in the final and semi-final respectively, end their year with a match against Wales in Cardiff on Saturday.

‘Pieter-Steph one of greatest’

Greenwood was full of praise for Rassie Erasmus’ Boks after their win on Saturday.

“(We were) beaten by a proper team,” said Greenwood in a TikTok post.

“They’ve got two wingers who, if you can’t create anything, give it to them and they’ll have a go.

“They bring on (Handre) Pollard, who’s unbelievable, Pieter-Steph du Toit, one of the greatest players to have played the game, RG Snyman is unbelievable, (Eben) Etzebeth is ridiculous … both their hookers are off the charts, and I’ve not mentioned bench people like Kwagga Smith.

“They are an extraordinary rugby team right now.”

Greenwood continued to lavish praise on the Boks.

“And if you are a neutral, even not being at their best today, we are witnessing an era, a dominant era (by the Boks).”

WATCH THE GREENWOOD VIDO HERE

‘Kick the penalty’

Greenwood called the English team a bunch of “good-looking, nice lads … who tried their guts out (on Saturday) and are completely and utterly devoid of confidence, which means in the tight games and tight facets of the match, when it comes to the crunch, people start to do different things and go slightly off script.

“They don’t go in twos and threes, they go in ones, but with complete and utter effort and willingness to do good, but unable to break down an extraordinary defensive team like South Africa, who kept trying to give us more chances.”

Greenwood was also critical of the way England managed their game in the latter stages of the match, especially when they won a string of late penalties, but opted to kick to touch and go for a try, rather than kick the three points.

“You want me to get slightly more technical … kick the three, get to within a score, roll the dice in front of 80,000 … one freak try wins you the game, rather than go for the corner … and I can’t remember when the last time was, against a good team, that England scored from a driving maul.

“I really like coming to Twickenham, and I really like this England team, and I feel I can get behind them. I just don’t know what we’re world class at and so we’re a sweet young rugby team.”