England face a daunting challenge against South Africa as they begin the inaugural Nations Championship this weekend.
It is the toughest possible start for Steve Borthwick’s side to the brand new biennial global rugby union tournament, which has replaced the traditional summer tours and autumn internationals with an overarching structured format.
England face Fiji and Argentina in the coming weeks, with Australia, Japan and New Zealand all visiting Twickenham in November ahead of the 2026 competition’s finale.
But first it’s down to Johannesburg, where they have their work cut out against the reigning world champion Springboks, the back-to-back winners of both the Webb Ellis Cup and the Rugby Championship who will also be firm favourites for glory in this event.
It is England’s first game since a historically bad Six Nations campaign that raised serious questions over Borthwick’s future ahead of the World Cup in 2027, but one that at least ended on a high note with a superb performance in a pulsating 48-46 defeat by France in Paris.
They lost 35-19 to Les Bleus in a non-cap international held in Vannes last month.
Rassie Erasmus’ South Africa warmed up for this fixture and opened their season by putting 80 points on the Barbarians in Gqeberha a fortnight ago, having successfully defended their Rugby Championship crown in October with a comeback win over Argentina.
South Africa vs England date, kick-off time and venue
South Africa vs England in the new Nations Championship takes place on Saturday July 4, 2026, with kick-off scheduled for 4:40pm BST. That is 5:40pm local time.
The match is being held at Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa - a venue that sits at almost 6,000 feet above sea level.
England’s footballers in Mexico are not the only ones to be playing at high altitude this weekend.
How to watch South Africa vs England
TV channel: South Africa vs England is being televised live and free-to-air in the UK on ITV4, with coverage beginning at 4:20pm.
Live stream: The match is also available to watch online via the ITVX website and app, which is free with a sign-up.
Live blog: You can follow all the action from the game as it happens with Standard Sport’s live blog.
South Africa vs England team news
England are resting the influential Maro Itoje for their matches this month, with former captain Jamie George stepping back in as skipper once again.
The headline selection is George Furbank making his first Test start since November 2024 at full-back after his superb form in Northampton’s Prem title-winning campaign, with Freddie Steward now sidelined.
Borthwick keeps faith in a centre partnership of Seb Atkinson and Tommy Freeman, with Immanuel Feyi-Waboso back on the right wing opposite Cadan Murley.
Jack van Poortvliet is preferred to Alex Mitchell and Ben Spencer at scrum-half, with Fin Smith continuing as the first-choice No10.
George is joined by Ellis Genge and Joe Heyes in a familiar front row, with George Martin partnering Alex Coles in the second row in Itoje’s abence.
Ollie Chessum is at blindside flanker, joined in the back row by Tom Curry and Ben Earl. Henry Pollock and Guy Pepper are both on a 5-2 bench that is lacking in experienced prop depth with Beno Obano and Asher Opoku-Fordjour the back-ups.
There are five changes to the team that started against France in the Six Nations finale, with Elliot Daly, Tom Roebuck, Spencer, Itoje and Pepper replaced by Furbank, Feyi-Waboso, Van Poortvliet, Martin and Curry.
Former South Africa youth international Benhard Janse van Rensburg is not eligible to feature at Test level until July 8 after making his England debut off the bench in that non-cap international against France, but is likely to play a role against Fiji next weekend.
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu is the Springboks’ most high-profile injury absentee following ankle surgery, with Manie Libbok picked over Handre Pollard to start at half-back with Grant Williams.
Full-back Damian Willemse and wing Cheslin Kolbe both earn their 50th caps, with Jesse Kriel and Damian de Allende in the centres and Kurt-Lee Arendse on the left wing.
South Africa are captained as usual by Siya Kolisi, who lines up with Pieter-Steph du Toit and Jasper Wiese in a formidable back row.
Eben Etzebeth returns from his ban for eye gouging, with Ruan Nortje alongside him at lock. Ox Nche and Thomas du Toit are either side of Malcolm Marx in the front row.
A 5-3 bench split from Erasmus includes the versatile Andre Esterhuizen, who can play at centre or in the back row.
South Africa vs England lineups
South Africa XV: Willemse; Kolbe, Kriel, De Allende, Arendse; Libbok, Williams; Nche, Marx, T du Toit; Etzebeth, Nortje; Kolisi (c), PS du Toit, Wiese
Replacements: Wessels, Steenekamp, Porthen, Van Staden, Hanekom, Reinach, Esterhuizen, Moodie
England XV: Furbank; Feyi-Waboso, Freeman, Atkinson, Murley: F Smith, Van Poortvliet; Genge, George (c), Heyes; Coles, Martin; Chessum, Curry, Earl
Replacements: Cowan-Dickie, Obano, Opoku-Fordjour, Ewels, Pepper, Pollock, Mitchell, M Smith
South Africa vs England head to head (h2h) history and results
These two rivals last met during the 2024 autumn internationals, when the Springboks ran out 29-20 victors at Twickenham - their third straight win in this fixture, following on from a one-point World Cup semi-final triumph in Paris in October 2023.
England have not beaten South Africa since the autumn of 2021, while they have not bested them on their own territory since the summer of 2018.
South Africa wins: 29
England wins: 16
Draws: 2
South Africa vs England prediction
As ever against the supremely dominant, physical and masterful Springboks, this is as difficult as it gets for England this weekend.
Playing the best team on the planet and reigning back-to-back world champions at their Ellis Park fortress in high altitude is as punishing a task as currently exists anywhere in the sport.
While their surprisingly impressive performance against eventual winners France to close the Six Nations gave Borthwick some much-needed breathing room amid more sustained criticism of his playing style, there is no getting away from the fact that it was still England’s worst-ever showing as they suffered four successive defeats for the first time.
That set alarm bells seriously ringing with the World Cup in Australia looming on the horizon and he will be desperate for a solid showing in this summer portion of the Nations Championship, with wins expected against both Fiji and Argentina.
England’s only hope here is surely if South Africa aren’t fully hitting top gear just yet at the start of their 2026 season, though the 12 tries they scored in a recent 80-31 demolition of the Barbarians may suggest otherwise.
South Africa to win, by 18 points.
South Africa vs England match odds
South Africa to win: 1/8
England to win: 11/2
Draw: 30/1
Odds via UK betting sites (subject to change).
