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.
