South Africa 10-25 England: Owen Farrell kicks 20 points as losing run ends
England's five-Test losing run came to an end as Owen Farrell marked his first win as captain by kicking six penalties in a 25-10 victory over South Africa at Newlands.
The series had already been surrendered following defeats in Johannesburg and Bloemfontein, but in Cape Town they salvaged some pride with a gutsy display that grew in purpose in the second half.
What started as an ugly spectacle scarred by repeated mistakes eventually developed into a tense climax to the tour that produced two eye-catching moments for both teams, Jess Kriel's try for the hosts cancelled out by a scorching Jonny May effort.
Danny Cipriani, making his first Test start for a decade, had been a peripheral figure until he delivered the perfect chip into the right corner where May's electric pace enabled him to win the foot race.
But the biggest winning margin of the series was primarily about the boot of Farrell, who finished with a 20-point haul, and the renewal of English forward might after passive performances in the first two Tests.
The penalty count that had been so damaging at Ellis Park and Free State Stadium was turned on its head with the favourable 14-6 statistic enabling Eddie Jones' men to keep their foot on the Springboks' throats once they had seized the lead.
It is a win that relieves the pressure on the under-pressure Jones, who can now enter the autumn series with renewed conviction. Unfortunately, only a paltry crowd of 33,827 was in attendance at Newlands.
