England Fan Happy Hooker reflects on the South African game and looks forward to the Australians this weekend.

By Happy Hooker

OK. It was a great win and well done the lads. But let's not get carried away. One swallow doesn't make a summer.

For me the most surprising thing about Saturday's game was not the result.  It was how poor the Springboks  were. Maybe it was the bitterly cold
weather; maybe it was memories of that nightmare match two years ago.  Whatever the reason the Boks came to Twickenham and froze.

I kept asking myself : Is this the team that won the Tri-Nations with such powerful dynamic forward play, that came within a whisker of beating both
the All Blacks and the Wallabies in their own backyard?  This wasn't the team that turned up at Twickenham. England's performance has to be seen in context.

So let's take a reality check. First the plusses.

England's forwards were a revelation,  and Martin Corry was outstanding, the best game I've seen him play at any level.  He was my Man of the Match with his surging runs . Corry only managed  45 minutes on the pitch against Uruguay during the World Cup. On Saturday he proved there's life after Lawrence Dallaglio.

But the other  "nearly men" of yesteryear also showed they've come of age: Grewcock, Borthwick, White, Rowntree, Worsley all had excellent games.

Charlie Hodgson  proved he's got what it takes at the highest level. Oddly he seems to thrive under pressure. His place kicking was immaculate (who'd have thought so after Canada?)  He's a quick thinker,  and certainly a quicker mover  than Jonny. He also scored a great solo try ( helped by some poor tackling , it has to be said).

But there's still a big question mark over his own tackling. It was his missed tackle which led directly to the Boks' only try of the game and  made the scorline respectable. That is a concern . But no one could argue that in the absence of Jonny he's the automatic choice at fly-half.

Cueto scored a super try brilliantly manufactured by Henry Paul and looks a natural. for the right-wing berth.  Lewsey was sound as ever, and Robinson was well, just Robinson.

But I still have doubts about that centre partnership of Paul and Tindall. Tindall to me is a natural inside centre: he's big and strong, can take hits  and make hits. Paul is not a great tackler nor is he the quickest mover around. I would prefer to see a fit Abbott, a Simpson-Daniel or Jamie Noon filling that outside berth.

Because of the freezing conditions Saturday was really a 10-man game of rugby so the back line remains untested. The jury is still out.

Andy Robinson has had a dream start as head coach. But Australia should provide a sterner test than the Boks.  If we can win convincingly against
the Wallabies then maybe, just maybe, we've got the makings of great side.

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