To not only have any chance of beating South Africa on Saturday but also be successful at next year’s World Cup, England have to work out what sort of team they want to be.
The answer to that question falls firmly at the feet of Steve Borthwick. Does he want England to be the side that won 12 games in a row with a kick-heavy yet effective game plan?
Or does he want his players to deliver the sort of brave, in-your-face, front-foot attacking performance we saw them produce in their last match with France on a regular basis?
I’m sure every England fan would choose the second of those options, as would I! It’s the obvious move, but playing as they did against France on a regular basis won’t come overnight for Borthwick and his players for a number of tactical and technical reasons. Beating the back-to-back World Cup winners at altitude in Johannesburg is going to be a seriously tough task. But while England have nothing to lose – as they did in Paris back in March – I do expect it to be a tight affair at Ellis Park.
Here’s what England will have to do to slay the Springboks…
To not only have any chance of beating South Africa but also be successful at next year’s World Cup, Steve Borthwick’s England have to work out what sort of team they want to be
IMPROVE DISCIPLINE
England’s 2026 Six Nations was statistically their worst in history, with just one win and a fifth-place finish. Why? One of the biggest reasons was a Championship record high of 55 penalties conceded, eight yellow cards and one red. England’s discipline was absolutely shambolic! It was surprising to see from a Borthwick team.
England must improve in this area of the game if they are to stand any chance of winning at international level. If those sorts of numbers are repeated this summer, England will struggle to beat Fiji and Argentina let alone South Africa.
If you’re constantly giving away penalties or playing a man or two down, it renders what you do in attack meaningless as you simply won’t have the ball.
If England repeat their poor Six Nations discipline this weekend, South Africa will kick for field position and call for scrums, giving them the chance to use their famed forward power. If that happens, it will be a long, long day at the office for Borthwick’s players!
England have to keep the Springboks out of their 22 as much as possible to stand a chance.
England’s discipline during the Six Nations was absolutely shambolic and must improve if they are to stand a chance of winning at international level
ATTACK… BUT WITH PATIENCE
In their last game – a 48-46 defeat by France – England let off the handbrake. It had finally dawned on them that the tactical trends in international rugby had moved on quickly.
To win at Test level now, you have to be brave and score points. England won’t beat the best teams in the world by looking to contain them. They have the talent to do so, but must combine bravery with tactical nous.
As good as South Africa are, there are points to be scored for England if they can be positive. Their team has a heavy Northampton influence. The way Saints played this season in attack was so good to watch, but it’s not as simple as England just adopting that approach even with the likes of Fin Smith and Tommy Freeman in the side. That’s because at international level, the physicality level rises. As the No 10, Smith will have far less time on the ball with England than he would do with Northampton.
If England can score 46 points in France, they can do some damage in Johannesburg too. They will have to be almost perfect to do so, however. In 2025, South Africa averaged just 14 points conceded per game. They are the complete team, so losing to them would be no disgrace.
For England, this weekend is just as much about the performance as the result.
England have a heavy Northampton influence but it is not as simple as just adopting their approach even with the likes of Fin Smith and Tommy Freeman in their side
CENTRES MUST DELIVER
England still can’t nail down their centre pairing and a little over a year out from the World Cup, that’s a big issue.
Seb Atkinson and Freeman start in midfield this weekend but it seems clear Borthwick is very keen on bringing Benhard Janse van Rensburg into his side as soon as possible. Van Rensburg becomes eligible for England for next weekend’s game with Fiji and I’d be surprised if he doesn’t start that game. In any team, the centres define how you play.
In the successful Wales sides I was in, we had Jamie Roberts and Jonathan Davies. With the strengths they had, it was pretty clear we were going to be physical and direct.
England’s big problem is they don’t know what their midfield wants to be. For me, Freeman is the best wing in England so should play there. That’s where Northampton believe he can have the most impact. I am very surprised Henry Slade isn’t starting at No 13. If he can’t get a game after the brilliant season he’s had with Exeter, he never will!
I’d have picked Slade at 13 alongside Atkinson with Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso on the wings. Slade is in incredible form and would have provided a left-footed kicking option and big-game experience to take some of the pressure off Smith.
Atkinson and Freeman will have a tough task against Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel. That partnership has everything England’s doesn’t, most importantly familiarity! Selecting Cadan Murley on the wing also feels like a safe bet. England have two of the best wings in the world in Freeman and Feyi-Waboso and an outside centre who is on fire in Slade.
Why not pick them there?!
It is clear Borthwick wants to bring in Benhard Janse van Rensburg as soon as possible as they search for what they want their midfield to be
I am surprised Henry Slade isn’t starting at No 13. If he can’t get a game after the brilliant season he’s had with Exeter, he never will!
NAIL THE BASICS
One thing that did go well for England in the Six Nations was their scrum, with props Ellis Genge and especially Joe Heyes performing well. It goes without saying that area of the game is where South Africa excel too with their ‘bomb squad’ of forward replacements ready to add fresh impetus from the bench.
I expect Genge and Heyes to go toe-to-toe with Ox Nche and Thomas du Toit. But England’s problems might come in the second half when the draining physical effects of playing at altitude will come in. Their prop replacements are inexperienced and will have their work cut out when they come on.
England must also nail their line-out and kicking game, but I do like their pack selection even with Maro Itoje absent. George Martin’s uncompromising physicality is a welcome addition and Ollie Chessum on the flank adds much-needed extra ballast. Chessum is an outstanding player and excelled in the back-row against France.
Rassie Erasmus’ side are the best side of this generation and I’m convinced they named their team for England on Tuesday as a means of intimidation
EMBRACE FEAR FACTOR
It doesn’t get much tougher for a team right now than South Africa in their own backyard. Rassie Erasmus’ side are the best side of this generation by a country mile.
I’m convinced they named their team for England on Tuesday as a means of intimidation. The message was quite clear – we’re supremely confident in our side, so here it is. Let’s see if you can beat it!
England aren’t expected to win, but my experience of international rugby tells me that sometimes when you go into such a tough arena, the fear factor you experience can bring out an improvement in performance.
In my career, I went into a number of games knowing that if we didn’t deliver, we’d be in for a hiding. I believe that fear allowed England to play some of their best rugby in France last time out and they need to embrace that again this weekend.
It might not be enough for victory, but I do expect the game to be closer than many people expect, even if a South African success is the logical outcome.
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