Mako Vunipola says he can’t look at a South Africa shirt without thinking of his worst day in rugby.
The Saracens prop faces the Springboks on Saturday for the first time since the 2019 World Cup final after being one of four players recalled by Eddie Jones.
It means the 31-year old facing the green and gold and rekindling memories of the 32-12 stuffing inflicted on England by the Boks in Yokohama.
“You see those shirts and you think back to it,” said Vunipola, who literally had a front row view as South Africa took the England scrum apart.
“That was the toughest rugby experience I’ve had. That game will stay with me for the rest of my life, not only because of how we lost but because of how they imposed themselves on us.
“Part of that disappointment is, of course, what might have been but the biggest part is always going to be the way we performed.
“If we played our best and they still beat us, I could live with that. But the fact we didn’t fire a shot and didn’t adapt on the day, that’s the toughest thing to reflect on.”
England were never at the races after losing tighthead Kyle Sinckler to concussion in the third minute. Without him their props gave up five penalties.
Eddie Jones subsequently wrote an autobiography in which he admitted that picking Vunipola ahead of Joe Marler was one of two “selection mistakes” he made for that game.
“We weren’t able to perform to our best when it was most needed,” Vunipola sighed. “You couldn’t help but think ‘if we don’t win this what is going to happen?’. That’s only human nature.”
The fact he wins his 74th cap at the age of 31 this weekend says a lot about his character. In all, nine of the final line-up in Japan, including the starting front row, begin the game at Twickenham.
England have more than payback for 2019 fuelling them. Having won only five of 12 games this year they need a performance of substance to reassure them they are heading in the right direction.
Having failed to beat anyone but Japan this autumn, Jones chooses to start Vunipola and hooker Jamie George and reassign Ellis Genge and Luke Cowan-Dickie to roles off the bench countering South Africa's renowned 'Bomb Squad' - the nickname given to the Boks' formidable front row replacements.
Jack Nowell, like Genge one of Owen Farrell’s vice-captains, is also relegated out of the side to make way for Tommy Freeman on the right wing.
Alex Coles replaces Sam Simmonds at blindside flanker to add a third line-out jumper against a Boks side minus six regulars due to the Test being played outside of the international window.
England: Steward; Freeman, Tuilagi, Farrell (capt), May; Smith, Van Poortvliet; M Vunipola, George, Sinckler, Itoje, Hill, Coles, Curry, B Vunipola.
Replacements: Cowan-Dickie, Genge, Stuart, Ribbans, Simmonds, Youngs, Slade, Nowell.
South Africa: Le Roux; Arendse, Kriel, De Allende, Mapimpi; Willemse, De Klerk; Nche, Mbonambi, Malherbe, Etzebeth, Orie, Kolisi (capt), Mostert, Roos.
Replacements: Marx, Kitshoff, Du Toit, Van Staden, Smith, Hendrikse, Libbok, Moodie
