Tom Palmer: Time to bounce back against the Springboks
To warrant the continued support the England fans deserve we need to get results against the top tier southern hemisphere sides on a regular basis – going close is not enough.
Having played against the Springboks three times in the summer we know what to expect. We ran them close in the last Test of the tour and gained a well-merited draw. We need to match their physicality and their direct approach – not just in the forwards but also in their powerful tackle-breaking backs as well. Stopping any momentum at source is the key.
This is particularly the case as soon as they look to develop their rolling maul. Last Saturday Scotland, on a couple of occasions, tried to combat this by disengaging entirely in order to claim a penalty. As it proved, it’s a risky tactic and one which we are unlikely to adopt against them!
Against Scotland last Saturday South Africa always seemed to be in control without ever getting into overdrive. They play no-nonsense, probing rugby and will exploit any weaknesses in your defence.
They possess some strong ball carriers and we need to halt the progress of back row forwards like Willhelm Alberts and centre Jean de Villiers at source. We must also protect the ball from the predatory skills of flanker Francois Louw at the breakdown.
Our coach Stuart Lancaster has introduced a few new players for this match and they will have the opportunity to demonstrate what they can do at the highest level. We need to harness our intensity and look to get over the gain line to enable our backs to exploit the disarray we are looking to create.
We are determined to bounce back from the disappointments of last Saturday and justify the faith of our supporters.
Cheers, Tom
