Marcus Smith has declared that England are flying to South Africa with a fierce determination to make a fast and furious start to the new Nations Championship at the expense of the world champions next week. A 36-man squad will land in Johannesburg on Thursday, and Smith emphasized a shared desire to rise to the high-altitude challenge of upsetting the Springboks on their home turf.
England have been training with oxygen masks in Bagshot to acclimatize to the Highveldt conditions. With subsequent matches against Fiji and Argentina, the team is acutely aware of the need to make an early impression against South Africa. "It's one shot," said Smith, who has now earned 50 Test caps. "We've spoken about leaving it all out there. It's a hell of an opportunity. I don't think England have been there since 2018, so we could create history by going down there to deliver a result."
Pooling Knowledge for Success
Smith noted that English club sides have achieved success in South Africa, and the squad intends to pool that collective knowledge to ensure optimal preparation. "We know that if we want to be in the finals, we've got to start fast and start well. I guess there's no bigger test than South Africa in Johannesburg. They've been leading the way in world rugby for a few years now, but it's a challenge we're definitely up for," he added.
Having toured South Africa with the British & Irish Lions in 2021, Smith is aware of the uphill struggle a poor start would entail, given the structure of the new tournament that replaces traditional tours. Defence coach Richard Wigglesworth made it clear that England will not use their demanding travel itinerary as an excuse.
No Excuses, Embrace the Challenge
"We have a massive challenge, but you can either see it as a massive hindrance or something really exciting that none of the other teams have to do," said Wigglesworth. "We're going to get stuck into that. They're long flights, but we're lying down for most of it. There are people doing far worse things. We'll get on with it and rip into the exciting part of the challenge. It puts you in good stead for resilience. That can't be an excuse for us. We have to hit the ground running."
Among the additional hurdles is the presence of Felix Jones and analyst Joe Lewis in the Springbok coaching setup, both former Rugby Football Union employees. Wigglesworth declined to reveal whether England have altered their tactical calls, stating, "Knowing Joe as I do, I definitely don't want to say if I've taken any measures or not." He suggested that insider knowledge would not determine the outcome: "I think you could sit and overthink it or carry on and go, 'What are we going to do?' We've chosen that approach."
Erasmus Praises England Squad
South Africa head coach Rassie Erasmus expressed respect for the opposition. "The England squad is good – their average age is about 27, and Test caps around 32, so it's a young yet experienced squad," Erasmus said. "There are a few older players in their 30s, which brings experience, but the young guys will add fearlessness into a team that was in the 2023 World Cup semi-final and who have competed really well off the back of the Premiership. It's a very competitive squad, and we know we'll have to work really hard at Ellis Park next week if we want to get a win."
Erasmus also commended England's young flanker Henry Pollock, who has already caught the attention of South African fans. "He's like Siya Kolisi. People make a big deal about certain players, but I don't always think the players themselves want that attention. What counts is what they do on the field, and recently, he's been doing that. If I were coaching him, I'd only look at his output, and that has been exceptional."
