England rugby blames indiscipline for 45-21 defeat by South Africa

England's national rugby team suffered a 45-21 loss to South Africa at Ellis Park, marking their fifth straight test defeat. The side received multiple yellow cards, including for Tommy Freeman and Guy Pepper, leaving them with 13 men for the final seven minutes. Captain Jamie George said the team's lack of discipline cost them the match and pledged improvements ahead of the upcoming game against Fiji.

Full‑back George Furbank was forced to miss the remainder of the July tour after undergoing emergency appendicitis surgery, further depleting the squad.

Coach Steve Borthwick emphasized that the tackles were not malicious but highlighted the need for higher execution and decision‑making standards against top‑class opposition.