Jamie George has instructed England to brace themselves for a “brutal battle” in a “conflict” with the world champion Springboks at Twickenham on Saturday.
The fixture would be the first time the groups have met since South Africa’s 16-15 victory within the 2023 World Cup semi-final in Paris — a stormy encounter made all of the extra bitter after accusations from England’s Tom Curry that he had been racially abused by the Springboks’ Bongi Mbonambi.
England are presently on a run of 4 straight defeats that features last-gasp losses to each New Zealand (22-24) and Australia (37-42) of their opening two November internationals.
However beating back-to-back world champions South Africa would go some approach to repairing the injury, with England captain George insisting his facet will relish the bodily problem posed by the Springboks.
“Everytime you step on to the sphere for England in a Take a look at you recognize you’re in for a conflict, you recognize you’re in for a battle, you recognize it will be brutal at instances,” mentioned George.
“However the type of group we wish to be, the expectation we have now, is that we run and we run exhausting.”
The hooker added: “Our rivalry with South Africa is historic. There may be at all times going to be an edge at any time when we play them. It’s a bodily recreation, a confrontational recreation.
“Their model of play could be very at-you and direct and that’s the type of recreation we like, the type of recreation we take pleasure in.”
A few of England’s greatest latest performances have been cast in adversity, with this 12 months’s 23-22 win over Eire within the Six Nations coming only a fortnight after a lacklustre defeat by Scotland.
“Traditionally, we’ve been a group that reacts very effectively off the again of a poor efficiency,” mentioned George. “And that’s what our recreation towards Australia was, if we’re utterly sincere.
“It’s vital not simply to depend on historical past, however being clear about why we bounce again effectively and what’s it about going into video games as underdogs that brings the most effective out of us.
“We don’t at all times wish to be in that scenario, however in fact we’re going to take advantage of it this week…The group can take confidence from the truth that we’ve obtained readability round what we did improper towards Australia, however extra importantly — why.”
In the meantime, George mentioned England would try to be as confrontational at Twickenham as they have been towards the Springboks ultimately 12 months’s World Cup.
“They appeared shocked by our physicality and our method to the sport so there’s going to be a blueprint there by way of our data of tips on how to rattle South Africa,” he mentioned.
“However we’re a special group to then. We’ve developed, they’ve developed. They’ve a special teaching group, so have we. That’s going to be a very attention-grabbing half round who wins the sport.”
© Agence France-Presse
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