SPRINGBOKS WILL PAY FOR POWER OVER PANACHE
I AM expecting revenge for the 2007 World Cup final defeat against South Africa. This England team have the best pack in the world. We have the best front row, best second row and the best back row. Sam Underhill and Tom Curry give England a huge advantage, and that will be telling on Saturday, having breakdown specialists. I don’t think coach Rassie Erasmus will change anything for South Africa — he won’t drop the captain Siya Kolisi, Pieter-Steph du Toit or Duane Vermeulen — so I see another field day for our boys on the ground. We have got ball-carriers who are ball-players — Kyle Sinckler, Mako Vunipola and Billy Vunipola have hands like centres, as well as power. South Africa will be physical, but when you’re moving the point of attack with the ball — and you’re getting front-foot ball with it — it doesn’t matter how good your defence is, you’re going to struggle. South Africa’s lineout isn’t overly complicated because they have such big lumps and tend to use their locks more and try to beat teams for height. That will be an area England lineout guru Steve Borthwick will target. I respect the Boks hugely ugely — they can move the e ball — but all I’ve seen is centre Damian de Allende crashing it up and then a maul. Our defence is just as strong as theirs, our attack is as good d as anyone’s in the world, and so it comes mes to the top two inches. Who is going to crack first? Defence coach John Mitchell has been huge. Before he came in, England shipped 60 points to the Barbarians and 40 in the first Test in South Africa. South Africa can mix the brute force with an expansive style, but I can’t see it happening because they’ve shown none of that at this World Cup and it’s only a six-day turnaround. They will perceive themselves to be underdogs and that’s a dangerous proposition. Rassie is pragmatic, he will go with tried and tested. He will rev up his forwards and make it about the physical stakes. The physicality thing, while true, is slightly overdone. We have big boys as well. Traditionally, England, South Africa and France produce the biggest lumps. That hasn’t changed. What they do have — whether you are an amateur or a Springbok — is a willingness to hit people hard, an in-built aggression across the board. I believe it is to their detriment, though. I have coached the Sharks in two Currie Cups and then in Super Rugby, too. It was brilliant. We tried to play more of an expansive style at the Sharks — the Bulls and the Stormers play more like the nationa national side with no rugby in th their own half. We tried to move the ball ba into space and keep it alive without forgetting the roots. South S Africa certainly haven’t h been easy on the th eye at this World Cup and I don’t see that changing. chan You can’t change changem much in six days. It’s been disappointing that they’ve not played an expansive style but you can’t complain if it takes you to the final. If England play with the composure they’ve shown so far, they will control the game. They seem mentally and physically on it. I feel it is their destiny, what Eddie Jones has set out for them. You can see that hurt from the last tournament — which I was involved in at the end — sits with a lot of them as well. I hope they complete the job. I won’t be able to deal with all the texts coming through from the Sharks boys if they don’t!