Three years have now passed but Mako Vunipola’s memories of the 2019 Rugby World Cup final remain horribly clear. Things did not end well for England on the last occasion he faced a South Africa pack and the Saracens loosehead is seeking a more positive experience when he encounters the Springbok forwards again at Twickenham this Saturday.
Even the mere sight of a green jersey gives Vunipola vivid flashbacks to Yokohama, where the Springbok scrum suffocated England’s world title ambitions at source. “That game will probably 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,” acknowledged the 31-year-old, one of four starting changes to the home side in the wake of the 25-25 draw with New Zealand.
