Springbok assistant coach Mzwandile Stick on Friday said they are expecting to face a charged-up England outfit when the sides meet in their opening Nations Championship encounter at Ellis Park on Saturday, and suggested it would be a proper grind of a game.
The Springboks might be ranked first in the world and England sixth, but both Kolisi and Stick said that would have no significance when the teams line up against one another in Johannesburg. The match kicks off at 17h40 and will be broadcast live on SuperSport.
“If you look at their rewarding performances from their club players, and a guy like Finn Smith at 10 ahead of an experienced player like George Ford, they’ll bring a lot of energy,” said Stick.
“Their backline has players with massive speed and an X-factor, so those players will bring it.
“That said, we've also prepared well, and we know it’s going to be a tough game. Matches between us mainly start up front, and England take pride in how they operate there, so we'll make sure we get our boys ready because it’s going to be a massive Test. They also have a strong kicking game, so it will be a challenge, but we'll be prepared.”
Zooming into what exactly they expected from the English, Stick said: “They can kick the ball, and they are strong in the contestable game, while they have Smith, who can attack, and backs who have shown they can run. I also have no doubt they would have worked on their set pieces as well because they've always been strong there.”