England Implements Four Changes for South Africa Encounter

The Autumn Nations Series fixture between England and South Africa is scheduled for Saturday, 16 November, at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, with kick-off at 17:40 GMT. Live commentary will be available on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds, alongside live text commentary on the BBC Sport website and app. Head coach Steve Borthwick has implemented four alterations to England’s starting lineup for the match against South Africa. Scrum-half Jack van Poortvliet and full-back Freddie Steward, both from Leicester Tigers, are named to start, representing two of England’s three changes in the backline. These two Leicester players, who have not yet participated in the Autumn Nations Series, are directly integrated into the team, replacing Ben Spencer and George Furbank. Ollie Sleightholme is set to make his inaugural start for England on the wing, stepping in for the injured Immanuel Feyi-Waboso. Additionally, Sam Underhill replaces Tom Curry, who is sidelined due to concussion. Sleightholme’s debut Test start comes as a recognition for scoring his initial international tries during the loss to Australia, with Tom Roebuck being listed among the substitutes. England, having suffered a 16-15 defeat to South Africa in their 2023 World Cup semi-final, will host the reigning world champions, aiming for their first home victory since the Six Nations in April. The team led by Borthwick has experienced five losses in their last six encounters, which includes close defeats after holding leads against New Zealand and the Wallabies this autumn. England’s most recent win occurred in June against Japan, the team they are scheduled to play in their concluding Autumn Nations Series match on 24 November. The Springboks arrive in London fresh from a win against Scotland, having secured their first Rugby Championship title since 2019 in September. Head coach Rassie Erasmus has implemented 12 adjustments to the squad that triumphed at Murrayfield, and captain Siya Kolisi is back in the starting lineup. Both Van Poortvliet and Steward, familiar to Borthwick from his tenure at Leicester Tigers, were consistent starters last year. Nevertheless, scrum-half Van Poortvliet sustained a World Cup-ending injury prior to the tournament’s commencement, while Furbank assumed the number 15 full-back position from Steward during the current year’s Six Nations. “Jack is a player that was playing a lot of games for England prior to the World Cup in 2023 and then had that nasty injury,” Borthwick told BBC Radio 5 Live. “He has worked exceptionally hard to come back from that. “He had a couple of niggles last season and probably wasn’t quite at 100% but from what I have seen in training the last couple of weeks, the speed of ball Jack brings to the attacking game is exceptional and he is right up to his very best.” England has demonstrated indications of improvement in their attacking approach, having held late leads in each of their last four losses. Borthwick’s strategy, which involved kicking for both points and territorial advantage in a disciplined display, almost succeeded against the Springboks at the World Cup, but a late penalty from Handre Pollard prevented them from reaching consecutive finals. Steward’s inclusion, recognized for his reliable presence in the backfield and under high balls, implies that England might intend to employ a high-kicking strategy to pressure their opponents and gain territorial advantage. Borthwick added: “It is the right time to bring Freddie in for this game. He has trained really well and played really well for his club so far this season. George is available and I’m pleased with what he has done in the last couple of weeks but I felt it was a physical game for him last week.” “South Africa kick more contestable kicks than anybody else in the world. It means you have to be very good under the high ball and have to be good in chasing the high ball.” Concurrently, Van Poortvliet is an adept box-kicker, expected to guide England into more advantageous field positions and identify chances to pass the ball wide, enabling Marcus Smith to challenge the gainline. The home supporters have desired a more offensive style of rugby recently, and while England has made some progress in this regard, perhaps the most effective approach to secure a victory against the world champions is to return to a more traditional, controlled game plan. England: Steward; Freeman, Lawrence, Slade, Sleightholme; M Smith, Van Poortvliet; Genge, George (capt), Stuart, Itoje, Martin, Cunningham-South, Underhill, Earl. Replacements: Cowan-Dickie, Baxter, Cole, Isiekwe, Dombrandt, Randall, Ford, Roebuck. South Africa: Fassi; Kolbe, Kriel, De Allende, Arendse; Libbok, Williams; Nche, Mbonambi, Loux, Etzebeth, Snyman, Kolisi (capt), Du Toit, Wiese. Replacements: Marx, Steenekamp, Koch, Louw, Smith, Reinach, Pollard, Am. Referee: Andrew Brace (Ireland) Assistant Referee 1: Chris Busby (Ireland) Assistant Referee 2: Eoghan Cross (Ireland) TMO: Ben Whitehouse (Wales)