Fran Williams says England were "off the pace" against South Africa after they were beaten 52-48 in the opening game of the three-match series. The Roses took an early 6-3 lead in Johannesburg but South Africa quickly got back into the game, edging ahead 16-12. The hosts extended their advantage to 29-25 before half-time and while England did rally to take a one-goal, 39-38 lead heading into the final stages of the match, South Africa were able to capitalise on the Roses' unforced errors and seal victory in front of the home crowd. "We didn't start strong, we looked a bit off the pace in attack and we weren't taking the ball cleanly," said England captain Williams.