Stuart Lancaster does not often issue tub-thumping ultimatums but his team have been told precisely what is expected of them against South Africa on Saturday. England’s head coach is demanding a 10% improvement from all those involved against New Zealand and has warned that anyone falling short may not play in next year’s World Cup.
Even the inexperienced Anthony Watson, making his first start on the right wing in place of his injured Bath club-mate Semesa Rokoduguni, has been left in no doubt that England require a stirring performance. Beat the Springboks for the first time since 2006 and Lancaster’s faith in certain individuals will have been rewarded. Fail to display sufficient energy and positivity and a reshuffle of personnel will be swift.
“Collectively I want to see 10% improvement in everyone because that’s the difference between winning and losing at this level,” said Lancaster, who has yet to achieve victory over South Africa since taking charge in 2012. “When you are competing against teams ranked above you that’s where you really understand every mistake does matter. That’s why this series is so important in the build-up to the World Cup. Irrespective of what happens, I will know by the end of this series who can and who can’t.”
Faulty decision-making and mediocre tactical execution for a second successive week, in other words, will have repercussions beyond the final scoreline. If Danny Care, on his 50th appearance for England, kicks as averagely as he did last week or if Billy Vunipola struggles to make an impact up front, for example, they cannot say they have not been warned.
Even Vunipola’s youthfulness – he turned 22 less than a fortnight ago – will be irrelevant if he does not reveal himself to be a swift learner at this level from week to week. “I don’t think we, or anyone else, are saying any of our players are the finished article at the moment but the trick is to make sure they all are in 12 months’ time,” Lancaster added. “We’ve got a lot of work to do between now and then but it can’t just be about 12 months’ time, it’s got to be about Saturday.”
The 20-year-old Watson, consequently, will be expected to hit the ground running, even against the renowned Bryan Habana, still one of the world’s top operators. Last season the England management did not regard the athletic Bath winger as ready for this type of examination but the initially shy Watson now looks and sounds much more confident. When Lancaster asked how he would feel about starting, the answer was instantaneous.
“There’s a difference in mentality,” said Lancaster. “The conversation I had with him confirmed in my mind he’s not just going to come in and try and survive the game but to make a difference to win the game. He’s excited about the challenge and that’s what’s given me the confidence to pick him this time.”
England, even so, are still relatively light on the experience front and do not have a surfeit of strong, penetrative ball-carriers in the pack or in midfield. In that respect the return to fitness of Courtney Lawes is a sizeable bonus, with England never quite the same force after the Northampton lock forward left the field following a first-half bang on the head.
Lawes now insists that apart from a large swollen “egg” on the side of his face and an initial splitting headache, he has experienced no subsequent problems and was always confident of passing his concussion test. “There weren’t any symptoms, other than a distorted face. When you’ve been knocked out you’re unable to remember much that has happened in the game … it’s a bit like you’re dreaming. I didn’t have any memory loss, I just failed the numbers test you have to do. They give you four numbers which you have to tell them back in reverse. Then they give you another five and then six. I basically failed because I couldn’t concentrate.”
There will be a lot to concentrate his mind on Saturday if Duane Vermeulen, Schalk Burger and Eben Etzebeth gain any momentum. Lawes, if nothing else, is braced for the challenge, despite having barely trained this week. “They are going to come here and try to make a big physical statement like they do everywhere they go. That’s what they pride themselves on and that’s where they will attack you. If you can’t front up physically you will be in for a long day.”
South Africa’s loss to Ireland has scarcely helped but Lawes believes both sides will be equally fired up. “They have a lot of pride as a nation and if they lose they’re not going to take that loss lightly. They are going to come here guns blazing but we also have a massive pride in what we are doing. We don’t take losses lightly to anyone, whether they are number one in the world or whoever. We need to go out there and make a statement of our own.”
As Lawes is quick to stress, though, Lancaster and his coaches will be seeking more than just head-banging defiance. “We have to get the balance between matching them physically and also playing smart. We can’t just go in and try to outmuscle them because there aren’t many sides in the world who are going to do that. We have to play smart and do our homework.” England (v South Africa): M Brown (Harlequins); A Watson (Bath), B Barritt (Saracens), K Eastmond (Bath), J May (Gloucester); O Farrell (Saracens), D Care (Harlequins): J Marler (Harlequins), D Hartley (Northampton), D Wilson (Bath), D Attwood (Bath), C Lawes (Northampton), T Wood (Northampton), C Robshaw (Harlequins), B Vunipola (Saracens).
Replacements: R Webber (Bath), M Mullan (Wasps), K Brookes (Newcastle), G Kruis (Saracens), B Morgan (Gloucester), B Youngs (Leicester), G Ford (Bath), M Yarde (Harlequins).
