South Africa grind out victory over England

England (17) 20

Tries: Sleightholme, Underhill Con: Smith (2) Pens: Smith (2)

South Africa (19) 29

Tries: Williams, Du Toit, Kolbe (2) Cons: Libbok (2), Pollard Pen: Pollard

England lost their fifth consecutive game as back-to-back world champions South Africa kept the hosts at bay to win at Twickenham's Allianz Stadium.

England got off to a flying start as wing Ollie Sleightholme crossed after three minutes, but the Springboks showed their class as they shot back through a quickfire trio of tries from Grant Williams, Pieter-Steph du Toit and Cheslin Kolbe.

Sam Underhill's charge put England within two points at the break, but South Africa ground their way remorselessly to victory, scoring the only try of the second half through the electric Kolbe and resisting England's increasingly desperate attempts to find a route back into the game.

England's losing streak is their worst since five successive defeats under Eddie Jones in 2018.

The southern hemisphere's big three - New Zealand, Australia and South Africa - have now won at Allianz Stadium on successive weekends.

While the margins of those first two losses were narrow, and South Africa sneaked past England by a single point in last year's Rugby World Cup semi-finals, the Springboks were comfortable winners on this occasion.

England's fourth and final match of their autumn campaign is against Japan, who they beat by 35 points in June - their most recent victory. England will surely end their miserable run against the Brave Blossoms - who were beaten 52-12 by France last weekend - but the questions over the team's progress remain.

More to follow.

England: Steward; Freeman, Lawrence, Slade, Sleightholme; M Smith, Van Poortvliet; Genge, George (capt), Stuart, Itoje, Martin, Cunningham-South, Underhill, Earl.

Replacements: Cowan-Dickie, Baxter, Cole, Isiekwe, Dombrandt, Randall, Ford, Roebuck.

South Africa: Fassi; Kolbe, Kriel, De Allende, Arendse; Libbok, Williams; Nche, Mbonambi, W Louw, Etzebeth, Snyman, Kolisi (capt), Du Toit, Wiese.

Replacements: Marx, Steenekamp, Koch, E Louw, Smith, Reinach, Pollard, Am.