JONES WARNING: BEWARE OF THE CUNNING BOKS

Eddie tells his men to expect the unexpected from South Africa: It won’t be all power and big hits, they have skill too

ENGLAND have been warned not to be fooled into thinking it is only boom and bust when it comes to playing South Africa.

Saturday’s final opponents are known the world over for their uncompromising physical approach.

This Springboks team features 6ft 7in lock duo Eben Etzebeth and Lood de Jager who each weigh in at almost 20 stones, while RG Snyman dwarfs them at 6ft 10in.

Prop Tendai Mtawarira, ominously nicknamed ‘The Beast’, said: “This final will be a game for the big moments. We’re going to have to be very physical.

“Every time South Africa and England play against each other it’s a physical onslaught and I don’t think this will be any different.

“There’s a mutual respect between the two countries and the best way we can show that is by going hard against each other.”

Mtawarira’s tone was repeated by half a dozen of his team-mates in the wake of Sunday’s bruising semi-final victory over Wales.

Even team boss Rassie Erasmus played down the likelihood of the Boks coming at England with an expansive approach, saying: “I’m not 100 per cent sure about that. We’ll go and try and grind it out.”

But Eddie Jones, who helped South Africa win the 2007 World Cup final AGAINST England, believes it could be a trap and has cautioned his side against falling into it.

“We know they are a massively aggressive physical forward pack,” said the England head coach. “But Rassie is a good, cunning coach who has done a great job and we’re prepared for the unexpected.

“You saw Faf de Klerk do 15 to 20 box kicks against Wales but Handre Pollard is an excellent kicker so we know they can play differently.

“We know that they are going to come through the front door, as there are not many Springbok teams that don’t.

“So we’ve got to be ready at the front door and have enough cover at the back door too.”

We are at the point of the tournament where Jones is really earning his money. The game’s best-paid international coach used his experience to dazzling effect to get England past Australia and New Zealand. One challenge remains.

At their Disneyland hotel yesterday the Australian insisted England could improve on their masterclass performance against the All Blacks, saying: “We don’t feel we’ve played as well as we can.”

He then revealed that the secret of getting a team spot-on for the final is to “do less, not more”.

“As you go through the tournament, the margins get smaller,” he said.

“The improvements you can make are still significant, but it’s about focusing on what’s going to have a significant part of the game.

“Coaches tend to think they’ve got to do more so it’s making sure we don’t over-coach and let the players find their own rhythms.

“Because they’ll be ready to go, you don’t lack motivation for a World Cup final.

“They know how they want to play and are aware of the challenges ahead. We just need to make sure they are physically fresh, mentally clear and have the game-plan in their head.”

South Africa have a power game to be feared.. but can run the ball too

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