ITV recorded their highest viewing figures of 2023 as a landmark 8.7 million people tuned in to watch the dying embers of England’s bitter Rugby World Cup semi-final defeat to South Africa on Sunday.
Although it was a heroic performance from Steve Borthwick’s side, the Spring Boks claimed a narrow one-point victory, scoring a converted try and penalty in the final 11 minutes to win 16–15.
Owen Farrell put England ahead with five penalties, but their hopes of reaching the final were dashed as second-row Rudolph Gerhardus Snyman crashed in front of the current world champions, before substitute Handre Pollard kicked the match-winning penalty with just two minutes left. left on the clock.
It was a brutally physical encounter that went to the extreme, with a whopping 7.2 million viewers tuning into ITV1 to watch the match from kick-off to the final whistle, with the match being the most watched match of the tournament to date .
While a record number of viewers tuned in to watch the end of the match, ITV also announced that its full coverage of the match was also watched by 5.2 million people, the broadcaster’s largest overnight audience so far this year, after Britain’s got talent.
England were eliminated from the Rugby World Cup on Saturday evening after a narrow one-point defeat to South Africa
As many as 8.7 million viewers watched the last remnants of the match as Steve Borthwick’s side gave the lead to South Africa in the final few minutes of the match.
The England team, who put in a heroic performance against the world champions, were left in disbelief at full-time
These figures do not include data from ITV’s streaming service ITVX, which has not yet been released.
It is the most watched rugby match since England were defeated 11-6 by Scotland in the 2021 Six Nations.
During full-time, tempers flared between both sides and a scuffle broke out on the field.
But it was England who would agonizingly miss out on their second successive Rugby World Cup final, with their players dropping to their haunches after giving their all during the match.
Despite being unbeaten in the tournament until Saturday evening, much criticism has been directed at Borthwick’s side, with questions raised over some of the England bosses’ selection decisions, while the team’s performance has also been questioned, with especially their limited performance. -point victory against Samoa.
And despite the loss, England certainly answered their critics last night, with the team causing problems for the Spring Boks with ball in hand, forcing Rassie Erasmus’ side to concede multiple penalties in the first half.
Elliot Daly, Freddie Steward and Jonny May all dominated the opposition in the air, while Maro Itoje and Courtney Lawes both tortured South Africa in the crunch and in contact.
After the match, Farrell praised his team and admitted he was proud of their brave performance against the Spring Boks.
“The fight we showed today and the effort we put into it,” he said after the match. ‘The willpower was excellent at times today and I hope we made everyone at home proud too.’
“There’s a lot that can come from this group,” he added, speaking of the young stars coming through the ranks.
“In those 23 we have seven players aged 25 or younger,” he said.
It was a heavy defeat for the Borthwick side, who consoled each other after the final whistle
Tempers flared at full-time, with a scuffle following the final whistle
‘That’s the most of any semi-finalist, so we have a great mix of experience and young players. We are disappointed, but extremely proud of these guys and we will continue to build in the future.
“We have a very smart group of players who are learning very quickly because we had to do it very quickly.”
South Africa will now take on New Zealand in the Rugby World Cup final on Saturday in what is shaping up to be a huge clash between two titans of international rugby.
But Farrell also stressed that his side have not had the same level of preparation as the Spring Boks.
“The opposition has had four years and we have four months,” the England captain said. ‘I asked the players to approach training differently and they embraced that.
Owen Farrell gave England the lead in the final ten minutes of the match, kicking five penalties
But England could not secure victory as the Spring Boks kicked a penalty in the final two minutes to seal a narrow victory
“We thought we were going to win tonight and we came here believing we were going to win. The players deserve a lot of credit for that.
‘I think the tens of thousands of England fans watching here tonight and the millions watching at home will be very proud of their team.’
“The fight we showed today and the effort we made. The willpower was excellent at times today and I hope we have made everyone proud at home too.’
Before returning home, England will take on Argentina in the third play-off at the Stade de France on Friday evening.