England's Rugby World Cup campaign hangs by a thread after a 42-12 thrashing by South Africa, leaving Steve Borthwick's side praying that Fiji do not topple their project in the final pool match.
Dominant Springboks dismantle England
The Springboks ran in six tries at the Stade de France, with winger Cheslin Kolbe scoring a brace and fly-half Handré Pollard kicking 12 points. England could only muster two penalties from Owen Farrell, who missed a conversion and a drop goal attempt in a disjointed performance.
South Africa's physicality and pace overwhelmed England, who conceded three tries in the first half and never recovered. The defeat leaves England third in Pool A, behind South Africa and Fiji, with only the top two advancing to the quarter-finals.
Borthwick's project on the brink
England head coach Steve Borthwick admitted his side were outclassed. "We were second best in every department tonight," he said. "South Africa were outstanding, and we have to accept that we weren't good enough. Now we need other results to go our way."
England's final pool match is against Fiji on October 15, but even a win may not be enough if Fiji secure a bonus-point victory against Portugal in their next match. A bonus-point win for Fiji over Portugal would put them on 10 points, while England can only reach a maximum of 11 points if they beat Fiji with a bonus point. However, if Fiji beat Portugal without a bonus point, they would have 9 points, meaning a win over England would see them through.
Fiji's fairy-tale run
Fiji have been the surprise package of the tournament, having beaten Australia 22-15 and then thrashed Georgia 37-12. Their victory over the Wallabies was their first ever against Australia, and they followed it up with a dominant display against Georgia, scoring five tries.
Fiji's head coach Simon Raiwalui said his side are not getting carried away. "We are focused on our own performances," he said. "We have a lot of respect for England, and we know they will be desperate. But we are playing some good rugby and we believe in ourselves."
England's World Cup history in jeopardy
England have never failed to reach the quarter-finals of a Rugby World Cup, but that record is now under serious threat. Borthwick's side have lost two of their three pool matches, with their only win coming against Argentina in their opening game.
Former England captain Martin Johnson said the team are in a "nightmare scenario". "You cannot rely on other teams to do you favours at a World Cup," he told the BBC. "England have to beat Fiji and hope Portugal do them a huge favour. It's a desperate situation."
England's performance against South Africa was their worst in a World Cup since a 36-0 loss to South Africa in 2007. They managed just 38% possession and 28% territory, and made 14 handling errors.
What England need to qualify
England's path to the quarter-finals is now dependent on Fiji failing to secure a bonus-point win against Portugal. If Fiji beat Portugal with a bonus point, they would be on 10 points, meaning England would need to beat Fiji with a bonus point to reach 11 points. If Fiji beat Portugal without a bonus point, they would be on 9 points, and a win over England would put them on 13 points, eliminating England regardless of bonus points.
If Fiji lose to Portugal, England would only need to beat Fiji to qualify. However, Portugal have lost all three of their pool matches so far, including a 51-8 thrashing by South Africa.
England's fate is no longer in their own hands. They must now rely on Portugal to pull off a shock result against Fiji, and then beat Fiji themselves. It is a tall order for a team that has looked disjointed and lacking in confidence throughout the tournament.
