England stumble to victory

LONDON – World champions England stumbled over the finish line on Saturday to end their seven-match losing streak with a 23-21 win over South Africa at Twickenham.

Replacement prop Phil Vickery, a member of the front eight who anchored the World Cup victory three years ago next Wednesday, scored the winning try seven minutes from time. In a match of potentially greater significance before the 2007 World Cup, European champions France restricted New Zealand to a 23-11 victory margin in a possible dress rehearsal for year’s final at the Stade de France.The All Blacks, who had compiled 40 points in their three previous tests against France, recorded their third win on their final European tour before the World Cup starting in France in 10 months’ time.Argentina pressed their case for inclusion in either the Six Nations of Tri-Nations championships with a second successive away win over Italy a week after their upset victory over England.The Pumas, whose only loss this year has been a narrow home defeat to the All Blacks, recovered from a 9-3 halftime deficit to defeat Italy 23-16.In Saturday’s fourth match on the third weekend of the November internationals, Scotland survived a second half assault from the Pacific Islanders to win 34-22 at Murrayfield.England’s victory after another technically inept display brought much needed relief to coach Andy Robinson and captain Martin Corry, although it may not be enough to save their jobs at the end of the November international season.An inexperienced Springbok side, minus a dozen of their leading players, provided most of the game’s few bright moments with flyhalf Butch James scoring an opportunist try and setting up another for winger Akona Ndungane with a deft chip kick.South Africa let an eight-point advantage slip away in the second half with Vickery, playing his first international for a year, bullocking over the line.The All Blacks were given an altogether sterner test this week by France, who scored the first try through winger Cedric Heymans after fullback Leon MacDonald dropped an up-and-under.Winger Joe Rokocoko and centre Ma’a Nonu scored tries for New Zealand while flyhalf Dan Carter kicked 13 points.Nampa-ReutersIn a match of potentially greater significance before the 2007 World Cup, European champions France restricted New Zealand to a 23-11 victory margin in a possible dress rehearsal for year’s final at the Stade de France.The All Blacks, who had compiled 40 points in their three previous tests against France, recorded their third win on their final European tour before the World Cup starting in France in 10 months’ time.Argentina pressed their case for inclusion in either the Six Nations of Tri-Nations championships with a second successive away win over Italy a week after their upset victory over England.The Pumas, whose only loss this year has been a narrow home defeat to the All Blacks, recovered from a 9-3 halftime deficit to defeat Italy 23-16.In Saturday’s fourth match on the third weekend of the November internationals, Scotland survived a second half assault from the Pacific Islanders to win 34-22 at Murrayfield.England’s victory after another technically inept display brought much needed relief to coach Andy Robinson and captain Martin Corry, although it may not be enough to save their jobs at the end of the November international season.An inexperienced Springbok side, minus a dozen of their leading players, provided most of the game’s few bright moments with flyhalf Butch James scoring an opportunist try and setting up another for winger Akona Ndungane with a deft chip kick.South Africa let an eight-point advantage slip away in the second half with Vickery, playing his first international for a year, bullocking over the line.The All Blacks were given an altogether sterner test this week by France, who scored the first try through winger Cedric Heymans after fullback Leon MacDonald dropped an up-and-under.Winger Joe Rokocoko and centre Ma’a Nonu scored tries for New Zealand while flyhalf Dan Carter kicked 13 points.Nampa-Reuters