In the first match of their summer tour to South Africa, England raced out to a 24–3 lead inside the first 25 mins, before the hosts fought back to lead 29–27 at the break. A fiercely close second half saw the Springboks finally emerge victorious by 42–39. Former England coach Clive Woodward described England's performance as "a horror-show", and suggested the team were not developing as quickly as their rivals, despite the quality of play in the first half. The second test would follow a similar pattern, with England surrendering an early lead to lose the game 23–12. The third test, played in miserable slushy conditions at Newlands, saw a reworked England side claim a consolation win by 25–10 against a similarly experimental Springbok line-up.