South Africa are relishing the chance to heap more misery on Eddie Jones and England in their three-match Test series. The Springboks were beaten 22-20 by Wales in Washington DC – Ryan Elias’s late try won it for Warren Gatland’s side – but the team fielded by Rassie Erasmus in the US capital will be nothing like the one which takes on England in the weeks ahead.
Erasmus left 15 of his first-choice players at home to prepare for England. His younger players faced Wales and even with a significant change in personnel on the cards South Africa must improve on their display at the RFK Stadium to challenge England.
“England will be a step up but there are 15 of our guys preparing for the games back in South Africa and we know the three-match Test series is going to be tough,” Erasmus said.
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“In the game with Wales we didn’t have much time to analyse them and there were a lot of new faces on both teams.
“It will be different with England. They’ve got guys we know well.
“It will be one proper series, a hell of a series. We lost the game with Wales which makes it two defeats in a row and Eddie and England have lost four in a row. We are all under pressure and, when you lose for your country, the heat comes on you.”
The defeat against Wales was Erasmus’s first game leading the Springboks and the former Munster coach is eagerly anticipating a meeting with Jones – and the shenanigans involved.
“England arrived in South Africa on Saturday, so they’ll be ready, and we’ll arrive on Monday. It will be a step up we’re ready for. We have to win and so do they.
“When you get matches like that it means the first game at Ellis Park is just going to be a massive one.
“Eddie is a wonderful coach. He always has a lot of plans, and the things he does in the build-up to a Test match in terms of what he says are always very smart. I don’t think it will be any different this time and it’s going to be a wonderful occasion.”
Not many of South Africa’s young guns in DC pushed for a start against England. In that regard it will be hard for Jones to look too much into what went on in the US capital.
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The wing debutants, Travis Ismaiel and Makazole Mapimpi, scored tries against Wales but Erasmus watched his men snatch defeat from the jaws of victory after Robert du Preez’s late penalty. It looked as if the replacement back had won the game with his three points but he then had a clearance kick charged down by the scrum-half Tomos Williams and Elias pounced to score.
South Africa will welcome back their big guns for England but Erasmus said: “We are also under pressure because we lost this match and, when that happens, you have to respond.
“We have to win our next game and that’s the challenge for us. There were a few positives but we now know what some of our young players can do in terms of handling Test match pressure.
“But that’s in the past and now we look to the future. From this squad between six to 10 guys will be involved against England. We have no excuses not to perform.”
England’s fifth-placed finish in the Six Nations and their Twickenham humbling against the Barbarians means Jones is now under more pressure than ever. South Africa are not too dissimilar in that they are beginning a new era under Erasmus.
They will have to improve their accuracy at key moments from what they showed in DC if they are to trouble England.
The captain, Pieter-Steph du Toit, one of the few Springboks involved against Wales who are likely to face England, said: “It’s a big year before the World Cup and we’ve got a new coaching set-up which means we’ve got to do three years’ work in one to be ready. We are trying our best and we are prepared well for the Test series with England. We have to step up next week.
Gatland criticies Premiership Rugby over release issues
Wales head coach Warren Gatland has criticised Premiership Rugby Limited after calling up Josh Adams and Tomas Francis for his team’s two-Test tour of Argentina.
Both players were dropped from Gatland’s initial party after PRL refused to release them – plus Bath’s Luke Charteris – for the game with South Africa in the United States. The encounter with the Springboks fell outside World Rugby’s designated Test window, meaning PRL were within their rights to take their decision, but Gatland feels the situation could have been handled better.
“Every other country is playing three games – England are playing four – and we finish our tour a week earlier than them,” Gatland said. “I understand completely what PRL are trying to do in the autumn when we organise a fourth international. They’re protecting their own competition.
“Players go back during the Six Nations down weeks and I understand that too, but I just can’t understand why they would stop players from joining us a week or two early. The club season is finished and the players are going to be back with their clubs early anyway. It’s a sad indictment on the politics of the game. I understand and accept completely the views on the other stuff, but this one just doesn’t make sense to me.” PA