Stay in the game
England have a far better chance than they have been credited with this week. “Who is the underdog?” is actually a meaningless question. It’s a two-horse race in the semi-final of a World Cup and England have earned the right to play the reigning world champions in Paris. To succeed, the first thing they have to do is stay in the game. They cannot allow the Springboks to storm into an unassailable lead, or run away with the game as they did in the second half of the 2019 final.
We’ve seen in the quarter-finals what the pressure of knowing your opponents are within a score going into the last 20 minutes can do. Steve Borthwick has spoken a lot about the importance of the fourth quarter and if England are within touching distance after an hour they’ll be happy with the way the game is going. It doesn’t matter how many World Cups you’ve been to, how many medals you’ve got, pressure affects us all. Different people feel it in different ways but, as England found out in the last 10 minutes against Fiji, one bad pass or one dropped ball could be curtains.
Get the fundamentals right
It may sound like an obvious thing to say but simply getting your basics right at this stage of a tournament is so important. You need to do the fundamentals of the game really well. Last weekend, South Africa scored two tries from two dropped balls by France. They scored another when Antoine Dupont was scragged and Cheslin Kolbe was soon streaking clear. You have to make South Africa work for their points and France ultimately were not able to do that well enough. It comes down to the fundamentals: set piece, kicking pressure, handling of opposing kicks and physicality for 80 minutes.
Keep up scoreboard pressure
If England can put the squeeze on South Africa and get themselves ahead, all the better. They are going to need to score tries against the Springboks – the winning quarter-finalists finished with 28, 29, 29 and 30 points and, though things might tighten up a bit, that tells me England will need their attack firing because opportunities will be at a premium. Having said that, if they can nose themselves ahead, scoreboard pressure can build. If, when you get into the red zone, you’re coming away with points it gives the team such a lift, whether it’s drop goals or penalties. It rejuvenates the whole side because they feel rewarded for all the hard work they are doing in the physical contest.
Use the bench wisely
I have to give a huge amount of credit to South Africa’s coaching team. Their two most important jobs are providing clarity of messaging and getting the use of their 23 right, and the Springboks manage their replacements so well. Against France they brought on Kwagga Smith and Deon Fourie with the clear intention of changing the game. They began with more of a physical presence but brought on two out-and-out poachers. Once they had imposed themselves physically they were able to exert pressure at the breakdown against tiring French players. It’s about not waiting or being reactive. They made changes on 45 and 52 minutes, they don’t wait for the game to unfold in front of them, they influence the match with their changes. Borthwick is up against extremely canny operators in Rassie Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber, and how he fares is going to be a crucial facet of the contest.
Win the aerial battle
The aerial battle is going to be fiercely contested but it is important to remember that a successful kick-chase still only gives you possession and territory farther up the field. It is what you do with the ball once you have won it back. Against France, South Africa were ruthless in that regard and so it is no surprise to see Freddie Steward back in the No 15 jersey. The important thing for Steward is that he focuses on what he does well and goes out there and does it to the best of his ability. He can be a wonderful antidote to kicking pressure and his reliability gives his teammates so much confidence. He cannot fall into the trap of trying to replicate what Marcus Smith brings from full-back. They are two completely different players and Steward needs to remember what his strengths are and play to them.
Get the referee on your side
Staying on the right side of the referee, especially in the opening 20 minutes, can set the tone for the rest of your team’s performance. Whether it’s Owen Farrell as captain, or the front-row at scrum time, it is so important to paint the right pictures for Ben O’Keeffe. Ireland did not manage to do that against New Zealand, but more significantly, they could not adapt to how Wayne Barnes was officiating the scrum. While O’Keeffe is going to have some effect on the result, I think it’s important to bear in mind that it is never to the same extent as the players. Dupont pointed the finger at him after the quarter-finals but France conceded 19 points through their own mistakes and that certainly wasn’t O’Keeffe’s fault.
Make fitness count
South Africa have rotated their team really well through the tournament and to be fair to Borthwick, so have England. Whether that has been by design, to manage particular players or because they haven’t been certain about some positions, England should have a freshness that I’m not sure France or Ireland did in the final 10 minutes. I saw an ultrafit France team but in the last 10 minutes some of their front-five players were almost walking into contact. It’s easy to forget that nervous energy also has a physical toll on the body. England have worked hard on their fitness since the Six Nations and how much is left in the tank in the final quarter will be critical.
