Boks ripe for English picking

THE Springboks lost 37-21 the last time they played England, in 2016. However, before that the Boks hadn’t lost to the English in 12 consecutive matches. The last time the Boks lost to England on home soil was way back in 2000 when a Nick Mallet-coached team lost 27-22 in Bloemfontein.

Both coaches will be entering the unknown. Both teams have been hugely affected by injuries and have drafted in many players untested at international level. Rassie Erasmus is just one game into his Springbok coaching tenure and has been tasked with picking up the pieces of a largely disappointing 2017, when the Boks lost four of their last seven matches.

After taking over the England team in 2015, coach Eddie Jones led them to 17 consecutive wins through 2016 and into 2017, until they came unstuck against Ireland. In 2016 under Jones, England won the Six Nations and Grand Slam (finishing the competition unbeaten) and retained the trophy in 2017. This year Jones’s England lost three of their five matches to France, Scotland and Ireland, and finished second-bottom of the log.

They also lost the Barbarians match at Twickenham last month, making it four losses out of their last four matches.

Therefore picking a winner from tomorrow’s match is not easy as the Boks are an unknown quantity and the English, despite their poor recent form, will still be dangerous under the canny Jones.

The Boks will do well to remember that it was Jones who masterminded Japan’s historic win over them at the 2015 World Cup.

He is a shrewd operator and a Bok team with a new coach, new captain and sprinkling of debutants will be ripe for the picking as far as he’s concerned.

The scene is set for an intriguing battle tomorrow afternoon.