Key Changes for the second South Africa vs. England test in Johannesburg

Following last week’s exciting 22-17 test which went in the hosts’ favour, both teams have made changes in order to be more competitive and to cover injuries from a brutal encounter. Mike Brown and Brad Barritt are the two losses for England and South Africa, Zane Kirchner misses out with a knee injury with Pat Lambie replacing him at full back.

Harlequin’s Mike Brown was unfortunate to pick up an injury to his hand after a failed tackle attempt on Jean de Villiers. This has made Stuart Lancaster move Ben Foden back to his usual berth at full back and bring in David Strettle on the left wing. Strettle has been plagued by injuries in his international career to date, so he will be hoping for a strong showing against the Springboks. The Saracen speedster is consistently one of the best in the Aviva Premiership in terms of players beaten over a season. His agility and footwork when given time on the ball will give South Africa defensive problems.

Another major change follows Brad Barritt’s painful eye injury which required surgery last week. Barritt’s misfortune brings a fantastic opportunity for London Irish’s Jonathan Joseph, 21, to come in at outside centre.  The young Irish centre will make his first England start in a tough test which could decide the outcome of the series. Joseph has an unquestionable ability to pick running lines and take the ball on at pace. This was shown at the end of the first test in which he made a clear break and helped set the platform for Foden’s try in the final play of the game. Manu Tuilagi moves to inside centre, hopefully the Leicester Tiger will pass the ball wide so Joseph, Strettle and Chris Ashton get some time on the ball.

The final crucial change to the starting XV is at fly-half, Owen Farrell had an inconsistent 1^st test, he made several kicks at goal, but his passing and ability to unlock defences was not good enough for an international fly-half. The experienced Toby Flood returns to the starting No.10 jersey and will provide more stability at half-back. Flood will hopefully get the England back line running and his tactical kicking will have to be accurate against a dangerous South African back-three.

Lancaster has made a few changes on the bench, Paul Doran-Jones struggled when he came on at the end of the 1^st test and he is replaced by Alex Corbisiero, who has played more international rugby than the Northampton Saints prop. Farrell is dropped to the bench, but he will look to make a big impact if given the chance to come on at fly-half or centre. Finally, Alex Goode is given the chance to join the match day 22; he provides cover at full-back and fly-half.

Last week’s victors, South Africa make few changes with Pat Lambie coming in at full-back to replace the injured Zane Kirchner. Lambie performed well when he came on last Saturday. Lambie, the 21 year old Natal Shark offers South Africa an accurate and sizeable boot as a kicking option and is both a composed defender and dangerous counter-attacking full-back.

South Africa made changes on the bench to replace injured players.  Werner Kruger comes in to replace Coenie Oosthuizen who was ruled out of the 2^nd test with a neck injury. Also, Bjorn Basson comes in to take Lambie’s place on the bench.

The second test takes place at altitude, this will be a crucial factor, the Springboks will be used to playing in these conditions and their fitness will be tailored to this. Also, at altitude, the ball travels much further, this means that England can not afford to give away penalties from inside their own half as Morne and Frans Steyn will both be able to kick from range. England needs to be more disciplined and create more in attack. Also, in defence they need more bite than last week, Tom Johnson and Chris Robshaw did well, but the forwards need to give more and be even more aggressive in the contact zone. South Africa had less time to prepare for the 1^st test so will have been pleased with the result. It is hard to see them being troubled by England unless Lancaster’s side bring an expansive running game backed up by a big forwards’ performance. Prediction: South Africa by 10 points

Have you got any thoughts on the 2^nd test? Post them below or message/follow me on twitter @tommyd91 

England overcome an early scare to beat the South Africa Barbarians South 54-26

England made a sloppy start off the kick off with George Lowe going offside ahead of Danny Care’s clearance. This gave the South African Barbarians a chance to go to the corner. From a second line-out the Barbarians drove England over the line with ease with number 8 Jacques Engelbrecht barging over the line.  Elgar Watts could not add the extras the first time, but, there was an early charge. With the second attempt, Watts was able to make it a dream start for the Barbarians. SA Barbarians South 7 England 0

After England’s first foray in to the South African half, Charlie Hodgson disappointingly went for the posts with a penalty. It demonstrated how seriously Stuart Lancaster’s men were taking their opponents. SA Barbarians South 7 England 3

Care gave a questionable pass which was intercepted and David Bulbring kicked the ball up the pitch. Hodgson managed to dive on the ball, but the ball went forward in the ruck. The Barbarians were given a 5 metre scrum and gave away a penalty from the set piece. The Barbarians went for another line-out and put pressure on England. Luckily the South Africans knocked the ball on and from the scrum England was awarded a penalty and Hodgson cleared the ball in to touch.

Care put pressure on the Barbarian defence with some clever sniping around the fringes and England was awarded a penalty from 38 metres out. Hodgson showed his experience and composure with a controlled strike through the posts. SA Barbarians South 7 England 6

A flat pass from Care was judge forward, a questionable call, but it prevented Thomas Waldrom from putting Christian Wade in for a walk in try.

England stole a line-out after an excellent kick from Hodgson and Waldrom charged through three weak tackle attempts and got the ball down to open England’s try scoring account. Hodgson added the extras; Lancaster was hoping the floodgates would open. SA Barbarians South 7 England 13

Care redeemed himself for his early errors with a delicate kick ahead for Wade, who calmly collected the ball and dotted down in the corner as England asserted their authority on the game. Hodgson could not add the conversion from the left hand touchline. SA Barbarians South 7 England 18

A simple strike move gave Jordan Turner-Hall the chance to put Lowe in for a try under the posts, the SA Barbarians were no where to be seen in defence. Hodgson added the conversion, SA Barbarians South 7 England 25

The South African Barbarians managed to put England under real pressure with ten minutes remaining in the half. England gave away several penalties and George Robson, the Captain was warned, but James Haskell was given a yellow card for another offence at the ruck.

With England a man down, the Barbarians went through the phases and Hannes Franklin, the hooker barged through some unconvincing defence around the ruck to score their second try. The try stopped the rout and made the score line look more respectable in the first half. Watts added the conversion to close the gap. With five minutes left, the score was South Africa Barbarians South 14 England 25

Half time South Africa Barbarians South 14 England 25. England will have been disappointed not to have scored more and to have let in two soft tries. The second half would open up more with the Barbarians likely to struggle with England’s fitness and power.

Lancaster made just one substitution at the break, he took off Alex Goode and brought on Nick Abendanon who has just recently joined the tour party following Mike Brown’s unfortunate thumb injury. This hints at the likelihood of Goode playing some part in the 2^nd test on Saturday.

The first substitution was tactical, but soon after the whistle blew to start the second half George Lowe twisted his knee awkwardly. This meant Lee Dickson had to come on in his place out of position on the right wing.

It did not take long for Abendanon to make an impact, he picked a perfect line off Care who took a quick tap penalty and charged up to the 22 metre line. Hodgson then chipped ahead for Wade, but it drifted in to touch.

England put the ball wide after Waldrom made a big charge through the South African defence. Abendanon once again looked dangerous and England was held up short of the try line. From the five metre scrum, Waldrom picked up off the back and drove towards the line. The decision went to the TMO and the try was awarded to give the Leicester power house his second try of the game. Hodgson pushed the tough kick to the right of the posts. South Africa Barbarians South 14 England 30

After solid initial defence from Anthony Allen and Nick Abendanon, the Barbarians scored their third try courtesy of Norman Nelson after the play broke up. The opportunistic try was finished under the posts and Watts added the easy two points. South Africa Barbarians South 21 England 30

England’s defence was not good enough at times, but credit to the Barbarians, who gave England a very good game. The South Africans were leading the possession and territory statistics around the sixty minute mark.

Stuart Lancaster’s side bounced back straight away with simple passes from right to left and a deft pop pass from Allen put in Graham Kitchener for an easy try. Hodgson hit the post with the conversion attempt. South Africa Barbarians South 21 England 35

England survived another scare with Allen picking up a lose ball and offloading intelligently to put Wade in for his second try in the match un-opposed under the posts. Hodgson was grateful for another simple kick added the conversion.  South Africa Barbarians South 21 England 42

After England blew a near certain try scoring chance, Watts spread the ball wide from inside his own 22 and Ntabeni Dukisa chance to out pace Wade and score his side’s fourth try of the game. Watts could not add the extras, but the Barbarians will be pleased with their valiant effort. South Africa Barbarians South 26 England 42

With les than ten minutes to go, Care put in another clever kick for Allen to chase behind the Barbarians’ defence; however, the Leicester centre knocked the ball on before grounding the ball.

Care managed to dive over for a try with minutes remaining after Hodgson blew a good try scoring opportunity. This added some gloss to the score line and his performance gives Lancaster a selection headache. Hodgson added the simple conversion. South Africa Barbarians South 26 England 49

Allen made a break but selfishly did not give the ball with Abendanon and Dickson outside him. The ball was turned over and the Barbarians cleared the ball to just outside their 22 metre line.  Wade looked to score a hat trick, but was hauled down just before the line.  However, with the last play of the game the Wasps flier managed to scamper his way over the line to claim the match ball with an impressive hat-trick. Hodgson could not add the extras, but the two points were irrelevant.

Full Time: South Africa Barbarians South 26 England 54

Man of the Match: Thomas Waldrom (ENG) the Leicester No.8 was in fantastic form, he took his two tries well and was always going forward with ball in hand.  Charlie Hodgson and Christian Wade also had good games, but Stuart Lancaster would have wanted more consistency and composure from his side. England gave away too many penalties in the game and this will be punished against South Africa in the second test.

Have you got any thoughts or comments? Do you think anyone put their hand up for a place in the 22 this weekend? Message below or post a comment to me on twitter @tommyd91

England’s Player Ratings vs. South Africa- South Africa 22 England 17

Stuart Lancaster was “happy with the endeavour and the effort” that his side put in against the Springboks; however, he felt that the game was one “we could have won”. There were some fairly average performances in the team, but the performances of Manu Tuilagi, Tom Johnson and Mike Brown (in the first half) stood out.

15. Mike Brown-6  The Harlequin had a positive impact in the first half, his counter attacking guile was on show and his kicking from hand bar one kick out on the full was outstanding. He tailed off in the second half, but that was due to the lack of possession England won in the second 40.

14. Chris Ashton-6 The winger was another who looked a potent attacking threat in the first half, he chose some excellent running lines and looked hungry for work. He also made some key tackles to keep the Springboks out in the first half. England need to get Ashton on the ball more in the 2^nd test, it goes without saying that without quality possession, the strike man is ineffective.

13. Manu Tuilagi-8 Leicester’s youngest Tuilagi got the better of the very experienced Captain Jean de Villiers in the first test. He put the centre on his back many times both in attack and defence. Fortunately for de Villiers, Frans Steyn was able to back up his skipper to prevent Tuilagi from breaking free. Tuilagi also made a huge try-saving tackle in the first half; he was one of the stand out performers for England.

12. Brad Barritt-5 The centre had a good defensive game, but he was unable to get any go forward and offer anything in attack. It was a quiet game for Barritt on his return to his motherland.  Lancaster may look at other options in the midweek match to assess any other players who can step up and take his place in the second test.

11. Ben Foden-6 Apart from his try in the final play of the game, the Northampton man had little effect going forward. However, to his credit he did field some high kicks with authority showing that if he is not to be selected on the wing in the next game that he could comfortably return back in to the full-back berth.

10. Owen Farrell-5 This may seem a harsh rating for the young fly-half given that he landed 4 successful penalty attempts. However, knocking over kicks is a minimum requirement for an international fly-half. Farrell gave nothing in attack, he needs to learn how to unlock defences and when and where to spread the ball wide. His inexperienced showed in when he threw a terrible pass out wide which nearly led to an intercepted try for South Africa. If Flood is fit he must be given 60 minutes mid week to see if he is ready to take the no.10 shirt back. Farrell is a centre in my eyes, he did well in the Six Nations, but he can not give enough in attack.

9. Ben Youngs-5  The Leicester scrum-half had an inconsistent game, at times his passing was perfect; however, his box kicking was not good enough. Against a very dangerous South African back-three, England was fortunate enough not to concede tries from counter-attacks.

8. Ben Morgan-6 The new Gloucester man looked a little short of match fitness following a period on the side lines with injury. That said, Morgan did make one fantastic break in the first half which nearly led to a try and he kept the powerful South African back-row in check around the fringes.

7. Chris Robshaw-6 England’s Captain had a fairly solid game, his work around the breakdown won England a few crucial penalties and he looked eager for work in the loose. Stuart Lancaster has chosen the right man to lead England as the fight back that England made was impressive against a South African side with all the momentum.

6. Tom Johnson-7 The former Dean Close pupil had an outstanding first test for England. His work rate was phenomenal; he made a test series worth of tackles and won plenty of turnovers. Johnson’s one major slip was in the first half when he could not help himself from putting his hand in to a scrum and hooking the ball back before it popped out. He gave away a penalty for his misdemeanour and will have learnt a lesson on the need for subtlety with foul play.

5. Geoff Parling-5 The Leicester man looked short of power against the Springboks; perhaps it is time for Tom Palmer to return to the starting jersey.

4. Mourtiz Botha-6 Not a bad effort form the Saracens line-out man, the set-piece was fairly strong against a well organised South African line-out. Botha also made a few inroads in to South African territory with some strong ball carries.

3. Dan Cole-5 The scrum struggled to compete at times even though England had the weight advantage over the South African pack. The penalty count will be crucial at altitude, England will not be able to give away penalties in their own half, if they do, they will risk Frans Steyn punishing them from 60 metres out.

2. Dylan Hartley-6 Hartley was another who ran out of steam in the second half; his absence for disciplinary reasons was notable in the final quarter. The line-out was ok, but he Hartley needs to give more in the loose and in the scrum if England are to succeed.

1. Joe Marler-5 The Harlequin prop had an average debut, he managed to keep the scrum up for the majority of the game, but he was not an influential ball carrier or tackler in open play. He needs a big second test as the replacements available in the front row are not up to the job.

Replacements: Toby Flood (6) came on for the ineffective Brad Barritt and looked more likely to open up the South African defence. I would like to see him start in the mid week game. Phil Dowson (5) replaced Ben Morgan and had no impact whatsoever; Lancaster may wish to give him and James Haskell a chance against the South African Barbarians. The other replacements came on far too late to make an impact, Jonathan Joseph looked dangerous as he made a clean break, but sadly in the front row, Paul Doran-Jones and Lee Mears could not cope with the pressure of the South African scrum in the final plays of the game.

Have you got any thoughts or comments? Post them bellow or message/follow me on twitter @tommyd91

England's valiant effort out muscled by South Africa's second half performance

England entered the first test on a high after a convincing 57-26 victory over the Barbarians a few weeks ago, South Africa on the other hand did not have as much time to gel as a squad without any warm-up matches. This was Stuart Lancaster’s first game with England on tour and after a relatively successful Six Nations campaign; he was looking for his first Southern Hemisphere scalp. Tom Johnson and Joe Marler were chosen to make their debuts against the Springboks, with Johnson set to be the key man at the breakdown and Marler facing a real acid test in the scrum against Tendai Mtawarira ‘the Beast’. Jean de Villiers captained the Springboks, with a familiar back line, yet an unfamiliar set of forwards.

After an unconvincing start from England where Chris Ashton spilt the kick-off in to touch, England managed to put in an aggressive counter-ruck courtesy of Mourtiz Botha and Ben Youngs was able to clear the danger.  In return, Bryan Habana showed his pace and beat four defenders with ease.

5 minutes in to the match with England’s first real foray in to South African territory, Steve Walsh penalised the Springboks for going off their feet at the ruck. Owen Farrell stepped up to take the kick from 40 metres and he landed it with comfort. His composure off the tee is remarkable for his age. South Africa 0 England 3

Youngs took a high ball with authority in his own 22, but he was isolated. Strong counter-rucking from South Africa gave Willem Alberts a chance to charge forwards towards the English try line. Under intense pressure England gave away a penalty, Morne Steyn added the penalty from in front of the posts to level the scores. South Africa 3 England 3

South Africa was awarded a free kick in England’s half and Morne Steyn put up a high ball. Three South African players were in front of the ball, but Walsh did not notice. The Springboks looked set to score, but Manu Tuilagi put in a desperate tackle to prevent the score. Luckily for Lancaster’s men they were able to force a turnover and clear their lines.

A slick line out by England off the top put big ball carriers in to the South African defensive line, Tuilagi, Dylan Hartley and Ben Morgan made inroads in to the 22. Walsh awarded England a penalty and Farrell added the points to put England back in to the lead. South Africa 3 England 6

The lead was short lived as a trio of English forwards crept offside after a ruck. Morne Steyn stepped up and evened the scores after 30 minutes. South Africa 6 England 6

Mike Brown fielded a testing kick and England counter attacked well. Ashton came in off the right wing and looked to be in space; however, Francois Hougaard managed to drag the Saracens man down as he forced a knock on. 

South Africa put England under pressure once again with multiple phases with big carries from the back-row. However, Captain Chris Robshaw managed to scavenge a turnover and England spread the ball wide out to Ashton who chipped ahead only for the ball to roll in to touch.

Johnson had been having an excellent half, but he could not resist the urge to tap the ball back in to the scrum before it fell out sideways as the scrum was going backwards. Walsh spotted the act of foul play and Steyn once again went for the posts. However, he missed his first attempt at goal and the first half whistle blew.

Half Time: South Africa 6 England 6

2^nd Half

It was South Africa who started the strongest in the second half. An expansive play allowed Jean de Villiers to get outside Ashton. The Springboks then pressed closer and closer to England’s line and looked to have blown their chance, but the ball was spread out to Morne Steyn who barged past a weak tackle attempt from Johnson to score South Africa’s first try. Steyn could not convert his try; he pushed the attempt to the right of the posts from the right hand touch line. After 50 minutes the score was South Africa 11 England 6

The Springboks were pushing hard in England’s 22 and were awarded a penalty ten metres out. They took the penalty quickly and turned the ball over to England who was awarded a scrum. Farrell was right to celebrate; England had been let off the hook. After the pause in play, Toby Flood came on to replace Brad Barritt who went off with a badly bruised eye that had closed up.

A dangerous attacking phase of play followed for South Africa, however, J.P Pietersen was forced in to touch. Out of frustration, Frans Steyn booted the ball in to a field of English players lying on the floor and Farrell took exception to this throwing a punch. Walsh decided to let the incident go.

Jean de Villiers, the South African captain scored the try that sealed the win with a commanding finish through Brown and Ben Foden. Steyn pulled the conversion attempt to the left of the uprights. With less than 20 minutes remaining, the score read as follows: South Africa 16 England 6

Straight from the kick off, Foden collected the ball and looked to be through to score. He was brought down and England took the penalty advantage with a risky kick through by Farrell. It was the wrong call, but Farrell took the three easy points on offer. South Africa 16 England 9

A strong kick chase from England put pressure on Pietersen and Walsh penalised the winger for holding on in the ruck. Farrell went for the posts and slotted the attempt. South Africa 16 England 12

The gap did not last long as South Africa found their rhythm in England’s 22. Under pressure, Tuilagi gave away a penalty and Steyn once again went for the posts. The fly-half put his previous misses to the back of his mind and he added the three points. South Africa 19 England 12

In the final five minutes, play was centred in England’s 22. England’s scrum was turned by South Africa and form the next scrum, Walsh penalised replacement Paul Doran-Jones for collapsing. Steyn added the conversion to prevent England from having the chance at a miraculous draw. South Africa 22 England 12

In the last play of the game, Jonathan Joseph made an outstanding break and then the ball was spread wide to Foden who dove in to the right hand corner. The decision went to the TMO and the Saints back-three man was awarded the try. The try was a fine conciliation for England at the end of a tough test match. Farrell could not add the conversion.

Full time: South Africa 22 England 17 Man of the Match: Frans Steyn, it is tempting to put his namesake Morne as man of the match, yet the inside centre made fantastic tackles throughout the game, keeping Tuilagi and Barritt in check.

Any thoughts or comments? Message them below or tweet me @tommyd91 please follow my blog/twitter for regular updates from the summer test series.

Genia’s genius too much for Wales Australia 27 Wales 19

An exciting match was in prospect with the 2012 Grand Slam winners facing the 2011 Tri-Nations champions. The Welsh were chasing their first victory on Australian soil since 1969. Rob Howley, in charge of Wales in place of the injured Warren Gatland selected a similar side as we saw in the Six Nations earlier this year. Australia’s notable absences included fly-half Quade Cooper and centre James O’Connor. Berrick Barnes came in in the no.10 shirt and x filled the berth at centre.

The match started with Wales putting Australia under plenty of pressure, the Wallabies tried to play from deep inside their half. However, when they broke forward in to Welsh territory, they were able to assert their authority around the breakdown.  The sniping scrum-half Will Genia made early breaks around the fringes, showing his pace and awareness around the base of rucks.

Barnes opened the scoring with a penalty after 7 minutes of play.

Wales’ only real threat in the first half came from Leigh Halfpenny, the full back who finished as the top scorer in the Six Nations this year made a scything break off an inside ball, however, a forward pass denied Wales the chance to capitalise on his clean break.

After a fantastic break by Digby Ione from a move off the side of a line-out, Australia put real pressure on the Welsh line. Gutsy defence initially kept the Australians out, but Scott Higginbotham managed to barge his way over to score Australia’s first try. Barnes added the simple conversion to give Australia a ten point lead after 16 minutes.

Halfpenny added a long-range penalty effort to close the gap, but Wales struggled to compete at the breakdown. David Pocock was winning the battle of the open sides against Sam Warburton.

2^nd Half

Australia started the second half with a dynamic break from Genia, the scrum half burst off the back of a ruck and beat three defenders as he rocketed under the posts. The easy conversion was added by Barnes and Australia opened the gap to thirteen points to make the score Australia 20 Wales 3

Halfpenny narrowed the gap slightly shortly after Genia’s try, but the closed gap did not last long as Barnes knocked over a drop goal after fifty minutes.

At 55 minutes, there was a break of play after Tatafu Polota Nau put in a big hit on Scott Williams. The nasty collision resulted in both players having to leave the field.

Wales took advantage of the break, Halfpenny added a straightforward penalty and shortly afterwards, Alex Cuthbert popped up on the wing with a well timed run and collected a popped pass from substitute Ashley Beck. Cuthbert managed to beat the covering defence to score and give Wales a real chance in the match.  The try was converted to make the score Australia 20 Wales 16.

In a fantastic phase of the game for Wales, Halfpenny added yet another penalty to close the gap to just one point, Australia 20 Wales 19

Australia bounced back with a period of intense pressure, their forwards made inroads in to the Welsh 22 with big carries. The Welsh defence crumbled under the intensity of the ball carrying and Pat McCabe crashed over the line. Barnes added the conversion to make the score Australia 27 Wales 19

Wales needed a quick response, but their basic skills were not consistent enough. Handling errors and panicked kicks threatened any come back.

Australia dropped a kick in their own 22, however, Cuthbert was dragged down as he looked to go outside a Wallaby back-row forward. Genia cleared the danger and Australia’s kick chase was outstanding. Referee Craig Joubert penalised James Hook for holding on to the ball, however, Barnes hit the left post with his attempt. His chance to close out the game would have to wait.

Wales threw caution in to the wind in the final phases of the game, a huge break from Jonathan Davies should have released Halfpenny, yet the centre delayed his pass for too long and the chance went begging.

Final Score: Australia 27 Wales 19. Man of the Match: Will Genia (Aus.) the scrum-half put in a commanding performance, his passing was top class and his ability to make breaks and create chances stretched the Welsh defence from the first minute onwards. Wales will have to negate his impact in the next test to stand any chance of clawing the series back.

Any thoughts or comments on the game? Can Wales bounce back from this defeat? Post below or send me a message on twitter @tommyd91

Marler and Johnson to make their debuts against South Africa

Stuart Lancaster has selected an ambitious 23 man squad to take on South Africa in Durban on Saturday. Selection has been based on form and England has been able to prepare well for the past few weeks, while the Springboks have had limited opportunities to train as a unit. This test series is a big test for Lancaster and his side; they have the potential to lay down a marker on the international stage. If England can win the first test, it will spice up the series.

The front row is made up of Joe Marler, Dylan Hartley and Dan Cole. Marler has been in exceptional form for Harlequins, the newly crowned Aviva Premiership champions. His combative approach in open play helped his side finish top in the regular season. His scrummaging has come on dramatically and he will have a chance to really test himself against the Beast in Durban. Hartley returns in time to start the first test following his ban for ill-discipline. Northampton missed the hooker dearly in the closing stages of the season and he will need to make sure his throwing in to the line out is superb, he may struggle initially having been out of action for a few weeks, but his leadership will be vital in the front row. The hot-headed hooker will need to keep his cool in South Africa; it is likely he will be targeted by the South African forwards in this respect. Leicester’s Cole has been tremendous for Leicester since he returned from the World Cup in New Zealand. He helped push the tigers up from 11^th in the table to runners-up by the end of the season. His scrummaging has also improved and he has been able to keep the veteran Italian Martin Castrogiovanni out of the starting jersey.

The engine room of the second row is made up of Saracens’ Mouritz Both and Leicester’s George Parling. South African born Botha has proven himself and fully deserves another starting position. Botha’s dramatic rise from lowly Bedford Blues in to Saracen’s starting has seen him win six caps so far. His work in the line out is exceptional and his 115kg adds real grunt to England’s pack. Parling, who has represented his country at every age group, has been competing with Tom Palmer for the other shirt in the second row, his organisation at defensive line-outs is vital to England’s success in South Africa.

Lancaster’s selection of the back-row is an exciting prospect. The new Gloucester recruit Ben Morgan provides an aggressive battering-ram off the back of the scrum who will give England plenty of go forward. Captaining the side is Harlequins’ skipper Chris Robshaw, the open-side flanker led the side admirably in the Six Nations and he will look to use his experience he gained in this year’s successful premiership campaign to lead England to a series victory. Exeter’s talisman Tom Johnson is deservedly called up to the national squad, the imposing blind-side flanker has been tremendous for the Chiefs; one of his highlights of the season surely must have been the commanding winning performance against Gloucester at Kingsholm. Johnson will be at the heart of the battle at the breakdown, he will have to make sure England can secure quality possession and can cause turnovers.

There is a slight surprise at scrum-half, with Ben Youngs given the starting position over Danny Care. Care has been out of favour with Lancaster since his indiscretions earlier this year, yet he seems to have been in better form than Youngs. The Tigers scrum-half will have to show the same kind of form that saw him burst on to the scene last summer against Australia. Owen Farrell starts at fly-half, the Saracen needs to show he can do more than just kick his penalties this summer. He will face a tough task coming up against Morne Steyn, who was the top point-scorer at the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand. Farrell’s defensive abilities have never been questioned, but he needs to get England’s back line firing and playing some expansive rugby when the time is right.

The centres are filled by the defensive workhorse of Brad Barritt and Manu Tuilagi. During the Six Nations, Barritt’s tackle-count was outstanding, he will have some big back-rowers running down his channel and he will need to be as reliable as ever. Leicester’s youngest Tuilagi gives England real dynamism in the centres. He has an unquestionable ability to make it past the gain line and Chris Ashton will be hoping to get on the end of one of his trademark breaks. It will be an entertaining match-up between Tuilagi and the experienced Jean de Villiers.

The back-three’s only change from the Six Nations is the introduction of Mike Brown at full-back, with Ben Foden moving to the left-wing. Brown was one of the best players in the Aviva Premiership last season and it is only right that he gets his chance. Brown’s counter-attacking ability is a genuine threat and the Quins flier ran in 7 tries this season. Chris Ashton came back in to try scoring form with aplomb with a hat-trick against the Barbarians at Twickenham in a 57-26 win. Ashton has vowed to save his controversial ‘swan dive’ for a spectacular length of the field or match winning try, however, he will look to get through as much work as possible and cross the try line in any shape or form. Foden has been selected on the wing; hopefully he will be quick to change his game management from full-back to the wing.

On the replacements bench, London Irish’s promising centre Jonathan Joseph gets the call to make his full debut if necessary. Joseph scored two tries against the Barbarians, his pace and running lines are incredible for such a young man. Elsewhere, Toby Flood joins him on the bench having struggled with injury at the end of the premiership season. Paul Doran Jones will have a crucial role to play in the final phases of the game as he comes on to solidify the set-piece. Phil Dowson will be another desperate to make an impact having been dropped with Morgan taking his place.

Prediction: England by 5 Lancaster’s side have been preparing for longer than the Springboks and England are desperate to stake a claim to be beat a Southern Hemisphere side in a test series away. The battle at scrum time is crucial; whoever gets ascendency in that department will have a distinct advantage. Hopefully England will play some expansive rugby as a defensive game will not be enough to topple South Africa. Substitutes will make a big impact on the game in the final quarter; hopefully Joseph will get a chance to run in space at a tired defence.


Have you got any thoughts or comments? Message them below or comment @tommyd91 on twitter

Five Springboks England must hunt down to win in South Africa

Stuart Lancaster’s young England squad faces a daunting task of taking on the Springboks in their own back yard. Many argue that the South African squad is not as imposing as it used to be, however, there are some crucial players in the team who can cause problems all over the pitch. From wingers who can outpace cheetahs, to front-row forwards who can bench press a rhino, England have to be wary of the talent that South Africa has at its disposal. Here are five key players to watch out for in the summer test series:

Jean De Villiers the highly experienced centre (pictured above) has been awarded the honour of captaining his national side for the series against England. The Paarl born centre has been a key player in South African rugby since his debut in November 2002 against France. Since then, he has amassed 72 caps, making him one of veterans in the squad. De Villiers is a hard-hitting centre, yet he has showed great technical ability in unlocking defences as he has run in 19 tries. It will be a real test for Manu Tuilagi and Brad Barritt to come up against one of the best centres in World Rugby. De Villiers has the offloading ability to release South Africa’s quick back-three and the strength to punch holes in England’s defence.  

Frans Steyn has been one of South Africa’s most consistent players, he also became the youngest ever player to win a World Cup in 2007. Steyn has recently re-signed with the Sharks after a stint with Racing Metro in France. The Springboks have won just under 75% of the games in which he has featured. The 25 year old is known for his mammoth boot off the tee, this could prove a problem for England’s forwards who give away plenty of penalties. Even from within his own half, he will have a go at the posts, also, look out for him trying to smash over a drop-goal from 55 metres, he has done it at altitude for club and country on a regular basis.  The Bloemfontein born utility player should reach 50 caps during this test series, an impressive feat for a man in his mid twenties.

Steyn's huge drop goal for Racing Metro vs Clermont

Bryan Habana not much needs to be said about the speedster, his name is synonymous with try-scoring and flair. Habana will celebrate his 29^th Birthday during this series and he will be eager to add to his already ample collection of 40 tries for his country. The 2007 IRB player of the year will punish England for any stray kicks downfield with his ability to pick out forwards in a line and breeze past them. Stuart Lancaster must stress the importance to his half-backs that an accurate kicking game and a strong kick chase are vital to prevent Habana from causing havoc.

Tendai Mtawarira or (the Beast) as he is known is a classic example of a South African prop, he is a real danger in the loose and he will be a genuine threat at scrum-time for the English front-row. The 116kg powerhouse will be roared on by the crowds in South Africa and will look to replicate the success he had with the Springboks against the British and Irish Lions in 2009 in which he dominated the set-piece and helped set up the platform for a series victory. England’s scrum coach Graham Roundtree will have to ensure he selects the best scrummagers for the tests against the Springboks, any weaknesses will be found out by the gigantic front row forward.

Pierre Spies is another who excelled during the 2009 series against the British and Irish Lions; he demonstrated his raw strength and incredible speed for a man weighing a daunting 110kg. Spies has been a reliable battering ram for the Bulls and he will give South Africa a platform, his ability to get over the gain-line will test England’s back row’s defensive ability.

South African team to face England:

Z Kirchner (Bulls); JP Pietersen (Sharks), F Steyn (Sharks), J de Villiers (Stormers, capt.), B Habana (Stormers); M Steyn (Bulls), F Hougaard (Bulls); T Mtawarira (Sharks), B du Plessis (Sharks), J du Plessis (Sharks), E Etzebeth (Stormers), J Kruger (Bulls), W Alberts (Sharks), M Coetzee (Sharks), P Spies (Bulls)

Replacements: A Strauss (Cheetahs), C Oosthuizen (Cheetahs), F Van Der Merwe (Bulls), K Daniel (Sharks), R Pienaar (Ulster), P Lambie (Sharks), W Olivier (Bulls)

Have you got any thoughts/comments? Post them below or follow/message me @tommyd91 on twitter.