Within two matches, England’s autumn has turned from hopeful to something a little more agonising as they prepare to welcome two-time reigning World Cup champions South Africa to Twickenham on Saturday.
It has been a difficult couple of weeks for Steve Borthwick’s side. They have suffered a pair of painfully late defeats to New Zealand and Australia, leaving remaining clashes against the Springboks and Eddie Jones’ Japan for them to salvage their series.
So what now for England? And what threat do South Africa pose in what promises to be a thrilling match?
Here is everything you need to know.
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Key details | Form guide | Team news | Key questions
Key details:
When: Saturday, Nov. 16 at 5.40 p.m. UK (4.40 a.m. Sunday AEST)
Where: Allianz Stadium Twickenham, London
How to watch: TNT Sports/ discovery+
Officials: Referee: Andrew Brace.
Assistant Referee 1: Chris Busby
Assistant Referee 2: Eoghan Cross
TMO: Ben Whitehouse
Form guide
South Africa beat England in the 2023 Rugby World Cup semifinals Dan Mullan/Getty Images
As all great teams do, South Africa have avoided the form slump that can come following success after winning the Rugby World Cup in France last year. With Rassie Erasmus returning to the role of head coach, the side were always going to be pushed to innovate, stay hungry and improve.
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They drew their two-match series at home against Ireland in July — losing the second Test by just a point — before going on to win the Rugby Championship in commanding fashion, beating New Zealand and Australia twice each, before avenging a one-point defeat to Argentina with a 48-7 thrashing in Nelspruit a week later to win the trophy.
This autumn, their performance has been as imperious as ever. They won their first Test of the autumn 32-15 against Scotland in Edinburgh. It all adds to an air of invincibility about them, which they will carry through the gates of Twickenham.
Erasmus has proved he is prepared to shake things up, and his use of seven forwards and one back on the bench — known as the “bomb squad”– strikes fear into any side.
Meanwhile, England are desperate for a win in any way shape or form. The dramatic Six Nations victory over Ireland in March proved that the side could match the best in the world under Steve Borthwick. However, England have struggled to make further strides.
Their only win since then has come against Japan. Two promising performances in New Zealand in July ended with narrow defeats in what has become an increasingly worrying trend this month.
Team news:
South Africa’s bench has become a key factor in their success David Rogers/Getty Images)
Prepare for an aerial battle. Borthwick has opted to make four changes for Saturday’s Test, including dropping Ben Spencer and George Furbank for Jack van Poortvliet and Freddie Steward, respectively.
Ollie Sleightholme and Sam Underhill have also been handed starting places amid the absences of Tom Curry and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, who are both sidelined after sustaining head injuries against Australia.
Meanwhile, Erasmus has gone with a bigger shakeup as he makes 12 changes. He has parked the infamous 7-1 split on the bench, instead favouring a 5-3 split for this one.
Manie Libbok was chosen at fly-half after being rested last weekend.
Wilco Louw will play his first test match since 2021 after returning to the Springbok set-up as a late injury call-up for this month’s tour.
“The turnaround between the Scotland and England tests is short, so we had to be smart in our selection to enable us to field a fresh squad with only six days between two tough test matches,” said Erasmus in a statement naming the team.
“It obviously has a knock-on in effect in the sense that we’ve made 12 changes to the starting lineup, but we have been rotating our squad all season.”
Key questions:
What impact will the Springboks’ “bomb squad” have?
The thought of several gargantuan South African forwards coming on around the 50-minute mark is enough to rattle any team. While he has only chosen five forwards on the bench this week, the way Erasmus uses his bench has been a game-changer in the sport, making them strong in the final quarter just as the opposition is fatiguing mentally and physically. It will also put pressure on England’s bench to make their mark.
The England forwards face a huge challenge this week. Look for big performances from Chandler Cunningham-South — who has been impressive so far this series — and Ben Earl, who has been known to step up in big games.
Anything but a near-flawless performance from the forward pack will make it extremely tough to get a result.
Marcus Smith has been in exceptional form for England this November Steve Bardens – RFU/The RFU Collection via Getty Images
What will Steve Borthwick do with Marcus Smith?
You get the feeling Borthwick is approaching a crossroads when it comes to his electric fly-half.
There were audible groans from the crowd when George Ford was about to come off the bench against Australia, not because of Ford, but because they thought Smith was about to come off. He stayed on and was moved to fullback, but the appetite to keep Smith at No. 10 is growing, especially as he has been in fantastic form this November, playing a significant role in most of his side’s meaningful attacks.
What would defeat do to England?
Had England beaten New Zealand or Australia, any potential defeat to the Springboks could have been taken on the chin. After all, They are the best side in the world and back-to-back World Cup winners.
However, while they aren’t quite in must-win territory, a defeat would ramp up the pressure on Borthwick. It would leave England with just one Test remaining to salvage their series.
They are still adapting to their new “blitz defence” system and getting used to new voices on the coaching staff. However, there will come a point when defeats become harder to endure. A victory over the Springboks would change the narrative around England, but it is a tall order.
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