At 5.40 pm local time today, England will welcome the mighty Springboks to the Allianz Stadium in what is expected to be a bruising encounter between the two sides.
The visitors arrive in Twickenham as overwhelming favourites after comprehensively sweeping aside Scotland last week. Meanwhile, England were unceremoniously shafted at the death by old rivals Australia. Not only do the recent results count against the hosts, but the meetings between the two sides don’t make for pretty reading either.
South Africa have defeated England in three of the last four matches, including two World Cup exclusions: one in the final of the 2019 competition and, freshly in the England fans’ minds, the 2023 semi-final in Paris.
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Of the 46 matches between the two sides in their 118-year history, England have won just 16 games compared to South Africa’s 28, with just two draws.
England head coach Steve Borthwick has found himself under huge pressure from the English public after losing their last four games, three against the All Blacks and one against Australia.
Giving his thoughts about the pressure that Borthwick is currently under, Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus recently had the following to say:
“When you lose two games, even if it’s by a point or last-minute try, the pressure does start to build,
“I’ve been there and certainly know how quickly that can get to you. Now Steve is a bit under pressure.
“It depends on your CEO – they can make you feel like you have got a gun against your head.”
Speaking exclusively to RugbyDump, Leicester and England winger Anthony Watson remains positive about the England structure, however, noting: “Steve is a very thorough coach, and nothing he does is for no reason.”
He remains faithful that under Steve Borthwick, the national side can bring winning ways back to Twickenham.
“I think just from an emotional perspective they will be so fired up for this one given South Africa beat us in the 2019 World Cup final and again in the 2023 semi-finals. For the guys who went on the Lions tour, they beat us on that too. There’s a lot of pain that South Africa have inflicted, so it’s an easy one to get up for.
“When you add the two losses on the bounce, I think they will be fired up and it’ll be a good hard physical game, but I wouldn’t be surprised if England win.”
Line-ups
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, Loux, Etzebeth, Snyman, Kolisi (capt), Du Toit, Wiese.
Replacements: Marx, Steenekamp, Koch, Louw, Smith, Reinach, Pollard, Am.
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