It is the question that will no doubt have occupied Steve Borthwick’s mind ever since the end of their draining victory over Fiji: how do you go about charging up England to meet the might of South Africa? There is no doubt that semi-final week will bring a level above anything his side have faced in France so far.
Two of England’s most damaging days in recent memory have come against the Springboks; the Rugby World Cup final in 2019 is most obviously in the mind this week but the Twickenham drubbing last November that led to Eddie Jones’s defenestration is still raw, too. No matter what underdog, backs-against-the-wall spirit the squad might be able to conjure, there will be a need to fight any possible fear factor.
Even defence coach Kevin Sinfield admitted that he was “in awe” of the physicality South Africa produced to pip France in Paris on Sunday night. “There are not many weaknesses out there,” Sinfield said of the Springboks. “We understand this team are very, very smart, they are coached particularly well and they are right across the laws. They understand all the intricacies and we’ve got to be ready for whatever comes on Saturday evening.”
Before the first British & Irish Lions test against South Africa in 1997, assistant coach Jim Telfer memorably stirred up the tourists’ forwards with a rousing pre-match dressing room address. The “This is your Everest” speech has entered sporting folklore, an example of how the right messages and manner can lift.
England don’t necessarily have a great orator in their coaching staff but is this a time for something similar? Not so, says Sinfield – the game has changed, and England’s quieter communicators are sticking to their methods. “It’s probably more subtle than that and understanding that leadership has probably changed,” Sinfield explained. “This generation is different.
“Gone is the big Churchillian leader. They do exist but they’re quite rare. I’ve spoken about our leadership group before and then as coaches, we’re all different. I know you’ve spent a bit of time with Wiggy, Tommy Harrison, Steve, and it probably comes across differently.
“We all have our own ways of influencing and supporting. As of yet, there’s been no Churchillian speech.
The last time the sides met, in November, an abject England were routed by South Africa at Twickenham— (PA Wire)
“Having had the luxury of working with these guys for some time now, you understand what buttons you can press and the influence you can have, how you can support and help those that need it.”
Sinfield spent much of his playing career trying, and failing, to conquer Australia, England yet to get over the hump at a Rugby League World Cup. The Kangaroos’ pre-eminence isn’t reflected in the code the league legend now calls home, but France and Ireland’s narrow defeats on quarter-final weekend mean there is every chance that the 10th men’s World Cup ends with a ninth celebration south of the equator.
Not that Sinfield, nor any in England’s camp, will be cowed by the challenge in front of them. Though the squad themselves have described this as an imperfect run to the final four, England are the only side that remain unbeaten at this tournament. How far have they grown in that time? A test against the Springboks will tell them.
“I’m not sure we would have feared it a month ago,” Sinfield said when asked if the England side at the start of the tournament would have been scared of the task in front of them. “Actually, it could have been what we needed at the time; an opposition that were different for us, to give us a different challenge. It might have been good for us.
“But we are really looking forward to this and I think you’re right. We are talking about different personalities and characters in the group; some will absolutely thrive on the fact that we are coming up against the best team in the world at the weekend.
“I am certainly not overwhelmed. I understand the challenge in front of us. But I don’t mind being backed into a corner, don’t mind being written off, don’t mind being slammed, don’t mind being in the thick of pretty tough circumstances.
“Rewind eight weeks and it was pretty grim for us, at the end of August. We want them to absolutely rip into it on Saturday night and give it everything you’ve got, otherwise, you end up with a load of regrets for the rest of your life.”
